Convalescence
by Herpalerp
Summary: Sequel to "Relapse." After defeating the remaining Hand of Destiny, Chase will have to fight to get back a dear friend. It's not a fight of monsuno, but rather one of the heart.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: hey everyone! Sorry that corruption was updated a day late! Everything has been super busy lately.

I also realized how unfair it would be to just leave everything the way that I did in _Relapse_ (if only because I didn't want to work on it anymore)So here's the start of the final part of the _Obsession_ series! It won't be as long, not even half as long. But let's get on with it!

Enjoy!

* * *

 _Dear Mom and Dad,_

 _I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you this in person, but it would be too hard to do so. After all that's happened, it's obvious that things are different, and I don't just mean with monsuno._

 _Because of everything that's happened, I've... Changed. I don't know how else to say it. And this isn't something that I can simply solve with a fight or with a vision. This is something that needs to be done on my own._

 _Don't worry, I'm not committing treason nor am I deserting S.T.O.R.M.. I just need some time to get over this... Challenge. If anything, I'll be back before you even notice I'm gone! But just in case there are problems, I'm leaving all my monsuno here for you to look after. Take care of them, and take care of Locke._

 _Your son,_

 _Chase_

 _P.S. Tell Jinja and Bren that, I'm sorry. We can't do this together._

 _Not this time._

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Darkness._

 _Darkness all around._

 _Suffocating._

 _Nowhere to move. Nowhere to go._

 _Where was this...?_

 _"_ _Are you still trying to deny it? Are you so thick as to think that you can do it?"_

 _Breathe. Just need to breathe._

 _Struggling against the invisible binds._

 _Locke. Where was Locke._

 _"_ _Ha! This isn't like any of your battles with S.T.O.R.M. or that fool Emmanuel. You can't just fight and walk away like nothing is wrong."_

 _The shadows all around. Twisting and tearing from the inside out. Unable to fight against the pain. Screams from everyone before. Unable to fight for them._

 _A figure that was somehow darker then the nothingness surrounding. Leering green eyes._

 _"_ _These scars will always be with you! As long as you hold fear, it will haunt you until you're nothing!"_

Chase gasped, a cold sweat going down his face. He took a few breaths, eyes darting all around at the darkness surrounding him as he threw his arms out at the invisible enemy.

After a few moments, he realized that it was just the sky, stars dotting it in a cacophony of lights. Crickets were chirping through the air, followed by the faint chirps of birds. Chase sighed, falling back on his pillow. He looked to his side, still seeing Beyal fast asleep.

"Just a nightmare," he breathed, but continued to stare up at the sky. His heart still throbbing from exhilaration and panic. He clutched his chest, knowing that he would stay awake until the sun eventually rose up. He drew a hand up to wipe away his cold sweat.

"Just a nightmare..."

HLP

The sun shone high above, the birds that soared squawked away. The wind would occasionally rise enough to rustle the trees, carrying the crisp mountain air with it. A large lake stretched far towards the opposite mountains. In some ways, this place was reminiscent of where Bren grew up. The only difference was that this place was untouched by people.

Chase let out a sigh, and looked up at the clouds overhead. It would probably rain soon, but for him it was hard to tell. He probably should've built their fire more in the shade, but given how he had been reduced to sitting around to recover more then half the time, he couldn't exactly pick where to build. The least they could do is try and find shelter before sundown...

It had only been a few weeks since they left S.T.O.R.M., maybe a month tops. Even longer since the battle that had resulted in him leaving it all behind. Whenever he was left alone, he would think about everything that led up to the fight, wondering if he could've done something different to avoid it.

But the more he thought about the Hand of Destiny and their experiments, the more he realized how inevitable it was.

"... I just wish I could've done something more..."

Splashing got his attention, and the raven-haired teen looked over from his spot to see Beyal coming out of the water carrying a few trout stuck on a wooden spear. He let out a breathy sigh as he dropped their lunch down at Chase's feet.

"How's the water?" Chase asked, shifting against the tree he was leaning against. Beyal did his best to wring out the water in his shirt before plopping down. He still had yet to replace his cloak, but Chase didn't ask why.

"Cold. But we're pretty high up in the mountains," he responded, then started to shift the fish to cook over the fire, "How's the air?"

Chase nodded, then tried to shift into a more comfortable position. He winced when his shoulders hit a knot in the tree.

"Is your scar still bothering you?" Beyal asked, looking up.

"A little... I think it's just- actually it's fine," Chase said, sliding closer as the breeze picked up again and sent a chill through him. The scar from the shard actually didn't bother him, it was the occasional jolt of pain that hurt. The monk watched him with that knowing look before turning back to the fish.

It was silent after that, Chase watching the embers crackle as he was left to wait. He wasn't one to complain about the rugged lifestyle of camping, but with everything hurting all the time he couldn't exactly enjoy it. Besides, he figured that they'd both be back home by this point. He thought that visiting the different sites of the Five Tribes would help him find his monsuno sight again...

But the nightmares kept coming.

The ghost pains that went through his body left him cold.

His monsuno sight had yet to come back.

And he had left everyone behind, even Locke.

... Was this the right decision? Was there even a point in trying? That voice from before continued to echo in his mind, making him question even more.

The smell of trout stirred Chase from his thoughts. He looked up from the fire to see Beyal holding a fish out for him. He took it, though he wasn't eager to eat. His appetite hadn't exactly been normal since their battle with the Hand of Destiny.

"Where should we go next?" Beyal asked, poking at the fire, "If we stay here for much longer S.T.O.R.M. is going to show up. One of the rumors from the last town said that they're looking for you. In which case it might be best to avoid any sites of ruins."

"..."

Chase didn't respond, picking at the trout. Beyal let out a sigh.

"... I know that it's been hard," he said, "But we need to think about our next move. We can't just keep wandering around the way that we are."

"I know that. But. This isn't easy," Chase muttered, "This isn't like the time that I had to find my dad, or when I had to find my mom. It's not even close."

He paused for a moment, reminiscing about the past year and the adventures he had with his friends. Despite everything that happened, there were things that helped get him through it all. His friends, his monsuno. Even the fact that he had somewhat of a plan was helpful when facing against all their enemies.

But this time. He couldn't even come up with a plan. He didn't even know where to start!

He looked up and watched his white-haired companion munch away at their lunch. He had been surprisingly patient with Chase, even more so then imagined.

When Chase first started looking for his father, Jinja and Bren had been more then a little upset that he was leading them blindly into danger. But in the end, they knew that as long as they were together things would be fine in the end.

Chase let out a sigh.

However, since he had no clue of where to go, Beyal had been taking the lead for the most part. The few places that they had gone to offered little as far as insight, but he was still trying his best. And that's all Chase could ask for right now.

He wasn't exactly useful at the moment since he left his monsuno behind. But that just left him anxious for the future.

"Well... Maybe you should try to think of this as something other then another monsuno thing," Beyal suddenly said.

"What do you mean? How can this _not_ be another monsuno thing?"

Beyal hesitated, "Well... I mean that it has more to do with yourself, and perhaps finding something else. Something-"

Thunder rolled overhead. They both looked up to the clouds that had suddenly built all around. Chase flinched when a droplet hit his face. Before either of them could say anything, the rain immediately picked up into a downpour. The fire went out in a puff of smoke.

The two of them sat there for a few seconds, listening to the piddle-paddle against the surface of the lake. Chase's thoughts lingered on what Beyal had said.

If it wasn't something that had to do with monsuno, then what was it? His monsuno sight was what had been affected by that meteor shard, that was clear enough. He just needed to figure out how to get it back. Somewhere that would initiate a vision no matter what...

His thoughts immediately went to the underground cavern that he received his first vision.

Slowly, Chase took a deep breath and steadied himself back to his feet.

"I think I know where we need to go," he said resolutely, "We need to find a place like the Valley of the Five Tribes. A place that has an abundance of untouched monsuno energy. Do you know a place like that?"

Beyal raised a brow, and thought for a moment.

"It has to be somewhere that's not like the temple or the cave of convergence, or anywhere that a person can get to," Chase said, rubbing the back of his neck briefly, "Especially if S.T.O.R.M. is trying to find us. We need somewhere that is completely off the radar."

The wind shook the trees, raining down more water at them. Chase shivered, wishing he had bought a coat in the last town they were in.

"There's a place we can go to that is somewhat like the Valley of the Five Tribes... But there's a problem," Beyal said, "I have no clue where it is. The location has been lost for decades..."

The monk trailed off, then looked off to the side. He stared at the empty spot nearby, a habit that he had gotten recently. There were times where Chase had seen the monk talking to the air, and couldn't help but wonder if he was talking to Master Ey. Or worse, Chase's mom.

"... But I think I know someone who does," he said, still watching intensely.

Before either of them could say something, lightning flashed, followed by a loud roar of thunder. The rain started to come down even harder. Chase held a hand up in a lame attempt to keep dry.

"... C'mon. Let's go find somewhere to camp," he said. Beyal nodded, and stood up. He kicked the place where the fire was, making sure that it left as little evidence that they had been there. If the rest of Team Core Tech was looking for them, they needed to be extra cautious since Dax would know their patterns.

And Chase didn't want to take any chances now that S.T.O.R.M. was looking for them again. He knew that they probably meant for the best, given how it was just Jon Ace versus Charlemagne. But he refused to go back until he figured out how to reconnect to his monsuno.

Slowly, they started to make their way towards rockier terrain. Chase shuffled along slowly, Beyal just a few steps behind in case he fell. The raven-haired teen kept his eyes to the ground, just trying to focus on moving himself.

He was focusing so intensely, that he only looked up when he heard Beyal gasp and come to a stop. Looking up, Chase also let out a gasp at the sight of the group in front of him.

"Why hello there, Chase Suno! What brings you here?"

* * *

A/N: Review Review review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to monsuno power and ChasexJinjaForever for the reviews.

Enjoy!

...

(Don't hate me)

* * *

 _"Are you afraid? Were you expecting that? I doubt it."_

 _"..."_

 _"You won't be able to stop it."_

 _"..."_

 _"You can't help anyone now. Not your friends. Not your family. And certainly not your monsuno."_

 _"..."_

 _"You're still willing to try? That's a laugh! It'll take more then a few ruins to help what happened to you."_

 _"..."_

 _"You're finished. Monsuno are over."_

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Four Years Later_

Footsteps running along through the darkened corridors. The only light coming from the flashing red lights on the floor to show the different paths. They would stop every few seconds, leaving the whole area in the dark. Despite that, the footsteps kept going.

 _"To the left! There! Keep going and then take a right!"_ A voice said, making their helmet hum.

The sliding of heels against the metal were quick going through the pathway. The one running kept their breath low, making sure that it wasn't audible despite the exertion pumping through their body. They needed to be silent to try and listen for danger, which made it even more difficult.

Turn to the right. A dead end.

They took a step forward, and their foot sank. Immediately, a scratching sound came from the left. Something went barreling in front, two lights blinking atop it. The beast rose up, easily six feet tall, and let out a screech.

Inhaling sharply, the one running trailed back and went straight again. The thing that came out was coming up from behind, metal scraping against the floor as it ran on all fours.

 _"No! You're going too far! Go back! Go back!"_

Sliding against the tile, immediately trailing backwards. The beast from behind leapt up with a shriek. Sliding underneath, they turn to the right only to come face to face with another wall.

"Agh!"

The teen threw their arms up in the air, hearing the beast continue to run blindly down the other corridor. The teen punched the button on their helmet.

"You give horrible directions!" they shouted, "Give Delta the communicator! At this rate I'll starve down here before even seeing the exit!"

" _You're doing fine, really!_ " the communicator squeaked out in their ear, _"Seriously though. You're not that far off-Uh oh!"_

 _"What are you three doing down here?!_ " a new voice shouted, making the teen wince. They knew who's voice that was, and knew they were all going to be in trouble. The lights suddenly turned back on. The teen held a hand up, getting blinded for a moment.

They watched as the walls sank back down into the floor, showing the clear way back to the control room. The beast from before, which was a random S.T.O.R.M. monsuno, was ushered back towards the far end of the room where a hall led back to the holding area. Removing their helmet, the teen shuffled to the control room and fidgeted uncomfortably under the overseeing officer's gaze. The man let out a huff, eyeing each of them.

"Just what do you knuckleheads think you're doing this late at night? You should be resting up for any missions you get tomorrow!" he exclaimed, looking to the other two in the room.

"Just doing some, uh, extra training...?" the dark-skinned girl sitting at the control panel said, tapping her fingers together nervously, "I mean... We kinda need it after our last mission-"

"You mean our only mission," the teen from the maze sighed, ruffling their short brown hair that swept to the right. Captain pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Look you lot! Just because the two other teams are out in the field right now doesn't mean that you can just wander around right now!" he huffed, "Besides. If you're going to train, the least you can do is fight with your monsuno! The only one on this team who even grasps that is Kimi over here-"

He stopped mid rant with another frown.

"Sorry. I meant Delta," he corrected, "Besides. That first mission was because of your other teammates! You know? That leader of yours and the freak."

The three of them let their gazes drop in dismay, though Kimi was the only one not glaring at Captain for his remarks.

"We're sorry Captain," Kimi sighed, "We just wanted to improve our individual strength. It's hard to fight sometimes when-"

A beeping noise made the four jump. Captain looked down to his waist to see a communicator going off. He grumbled, but answered it.

"Hello? No, this is Captain Barron. Lieutenant Jinja? She stepped out for a moment. The commander? I think he's out too. Yes, I am aware of what time it is. Just send a message up for the Commandant. I'm sure he'll get to whatever it is eventually," he said dully. After a few more words were spoken, his expression quickly changed to serious, then to shock, "Wh-Are you sure? Like really sure?! That is good news! Okay-hold on!"

He ran over to the desk, the two girls scooting out of the way as he jot down a note real fast, and ripped the paper off as he wrote something else on another sheet.

"... No. I don't think so. I'll track her down. Sure thing!"

He hung up without care, immediately bolting for the door as he ripped the paper from the notepad and grabbed both. He stopped, remembering the group of teens.

"Uh. You're all dismissed! Go get some sleep!" he shouted quickly and continued on. Those kids probably wouldn't actually go back to their quarters, but that'll be their own fault if they're tired the next day.

When a soldier came around the corner, the Captain went up to them immediately.

"Hurry, take this to the labs for Dr. Suno," he said, passing off one of the slips of papers. He kept running straight up to the docking area, ignoring the occasional looks from the guards that were patrolling. As he got near one of the ships, he waved down one of the soldiers.

"Quick! Heat up the engines!" the Captain shouted as he climbed aboard, "I have news for the lieutenant! It's urgent!"

The soldier, not asking any questions, quickly followed. The two strapped in, signaling some of the others lingering on the deck to clear the area.

The cloud hopper flared alive, hovering up and away. The cloud carrier got further away as the smaller ship dove down into the clouds. If his guess was correct, then the Lieutenant was most likely with him.

But since it would be awhile before the ship landed at Overlook, the Captain decided to calm his nerves somewhat. He leaned back in his seat and stared down at the simple message that he had received.

HLP

The lights in the room were dimmed down, casting shadows all around. The computer screens beeped occasionally, giving the status of the grid that managed to hold up after years. Jeredy ignored it and continued to focus on the core he was repairing. With a delicate motion, he picked and screwed at it below the magnifying glass. He leaned back, not looking away as he picked up a small welding torch.

"Can't believe it cracked. This never happens," he muttered to himself. Sparks flew as the flame hit the yellow and black metal, "I guess that's what happens when someone else makes them instead. I really should've replaced all the S.T.O.R.M. cores when we came back... But that would've been too much work..."

After what felt like a few minutes more of work, the core was repaired. When Jeredy leaned back and took off his goggles, he could see that he had been working on it for an hour now. He looked towards the far side of the desk where a pile of fixed cores lay.

"Don't know why I should to repair them, considering how monsuno are able to stay outside their cores now..." he said, trailing off in thought. The energy inside this particular core was gone, as the monsuno inside was most likely down in the training ring with many of the others.

He rubbed his eyes, trying to fight off the urge for sleep. He was glad that the monsuno were able to progress so much over the years so that they weren't as dependent upon the cores. However, he wasn't too keen on the idea of the monsuno being able to stay out of their cores for very long. It wasn't because he found them untrustworthy, it was just that there were plenty of people out there who could take advantage of their new abilities. People who could create armies...

People like Klipse...

Jeredy sighed, looking at the screen that displayed the map of the world. Despite his worries, everything dealing with monsuno had been quiet for the past few years. No sign of Emanuel, nor his lackeys or son.

"I suppose no news is good news," he sighed, then pulled his chair up to the desk to start typing again. His hands hovered over the keys briefly as he pondered upon the other man's fate after their final battle with the Hand of Destiny. Even after all the hardships that the other man put him through, Jeredy couldn't keep himself from worrying.

"... I hope he's alright."

"Who?"

The doctor turned around, seeing one of his assistants standing in the doorway. It was something that Jon suggested after many late nights of working without anyone knowing where Jeredy was. He _did_ tend to lose track of time in the windowless rooms.

(Not to mention the time he blew up half the lab when one of the cores reacted)

(He was getting too old for this)

"Oh. Nothing," he dismissed, "How're the new cores coming along?"

The intern (as Jeredy liked to the mass majority of them as) looked down at the clipboard in their hand, "Well. The energy is reacted as it should, and the cores are doing just fine..."

Jeredy raised a brow, seeing the way the other shuffled their feet.

"... What is it? Did something happen?"

"Um... Maybe?" the intern stammered, shuffling even more. They flipped a few pages on the clipboard, "It's about that core. The one um, from your son? I think something happened to- hey!"

That's all Jeredy needed to hear. He was up on his feet and running down the hall immediately. His intern was close behind as they ran past the other empty labs. Finally, they stood in front of the last door at the end, panting a little. Jeredy pushed the clearance code, and surged through the metal doors.

The only thing inside was the blue light in the middle of the room, surrounded by glass and metal. Inside was a single blue core floating absently. Locke's core. It light around it made it shine in the darkness.

But over the years, something had happened to it.

Something that Jeredy's couldn't comprehend, even after years of analysis. The energy inside was fading, and Locke refused to be spun out.

The doctor went over to the control panel, looking at the status. He looked over it carefully, just in case the interns had perhaps misread something (it wouldn't have been the first time).

But then something clicked.

Jeredy gasped, watching the levels of energy fluctuate. Quickly, he typed a few codes as the protective barrier was released around it. The glass slid away, and the core continued to hover as he went up to it.

To his dismay, the core still looked dull in comparison to when he had first created it. But after years of staring at it, watching its color slowly fade, Jeredy let out a gasp. There was a spark of something inside. A light that he thought was gone.

But as quickly as it showed, it was gone.

The color faded again, dulling the core even more. As he held the core, there was a stir inside that made his heart skip a beat, bringing up memories of his missing son.

Footsteps came through the door with more panting. Jeredy ignored it, still focusing on the core.

"Doctor!" One of the other assistants exclaimed, standing outside the room with the other (no one seemed to ever want to come into the room with Locke's core when Jeredy was present), "Message! We got a-Doctor?"

Slowly, Jeredy turned so that he was facing them.

"... What is it?" Jeredy asked, still focusing on the light in the core in case something else happened.

"We just got great news from the south eastern region!" the intern said, waving a piece of paper, "I think you're going to want to hear this."

HLP

It was still dark out, though the birds were starting to awaken as the sun's light hit the retreating night sky. The trees rustled, leaves tossing in the air and across the pavement. The young red-haired man shuddered somewhat, bringing his coat a little closer. Despite all these years, the morning air continued to drive a chill through his body.

He stared down at the name carved into the black marble pillar, one of many that were on the grounds of the park. Padded footsteps ran along in the field a short distance away. Alpha glanced up briefly to see Tripwire and Astrapi playing with hardly any worry. Of course the two wolf-like monsuno wouldn't know any better as far as decorum.

Sighing, Alpha knelt down beside the large rock. Slowly, he swept his hand across its surface, brushing away the dust with his thumb. He frowned even more at the letters.

"I wonder... If I'm leading the way that you would..."

Soft footsteps came along behind that were different, heels clicking on the pathway. He looked over his shoulder, but didn't bother to stand.

"What's up Jinja? Did something happen back at the cloud carrier?"

Jinja, who had blossomed into quite the young woman, stood in a uniform similar to the one that he wore, though it was a bit more fitted, sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her hair, which had been kept at a short length, was pulled up in a small ponytail. Her arms were folded together, a frown on her lips.

"No. But when are you going to learn to at least leave a few instructions for the troops, Alpha?" she sighed, "And don't tell me that putting everyone on patrol counts."

He let out a chuckle, then turned back to the memorial site.

"I know. But I figured that they'd at least be able to deal with the morning without having to ring me up," he said, "Things have been relatively quiet lately. Besides there are plenty of capable people back at the cloud carrier who can handle things."

He stood up, seeing the sky lighting up even more as the sun climbed over the horizon. Skysite and Skyfall were both soaring up high, delighted to be out in the cool air. Alpha turned back, and saw the way that Jinja looked off to the side. She held a hand close to her chest, a grimace on her face.

"... What's wrong?" Alpha asked, seeing her wistful expression. He already knew what it was. She always got like this whenever she came down to the memorial.

"Just thinking about everyone again," she sighed, not bothering to look up, "It's been so long... And still no sign of Chase or Beyal... I thought I felt something before, but maybe I'm just getting my hopes up again..."

Alpha sighed, scratching the back of his neck. Admittedly, it hadn't been easy for any of them. Sure he managed to get a high rank, and had been efficiently leading everyone in his new role. But clearly that wasn't enough for Team Core Tech. Or rather, for Jinja.

Team Core Tech, with only half of its members, had been disbanded. The remaining three there were still part of S.T.O.R.M., but without two more members they couldn't have a full team. And with Jinja now leading Alpha's squad, that just left the other two.

And they weren't exactly motivated to do much at the moment.

Bren was still around helping to code with the tech department, but Dax was pretty much MIA. They had lost touch with him soon after Chase and Beyal had left, though they eventually got back in contact a few years back. What ever he had done during that time, the lowlander wouldn't talk about it (Though Alpha was suspicious of how fast the remaining Eklipse members had been detained after Dax left). Either way, it was clear that Dax was done with S.T.O.R.M., not even wanting to move back in at the cloud carrier.

Alpha looked up at the sky, knowing that there was only one person out there who could help bring them all back together. Jinja walked up next to him, and gave him a small grin.

"C'mon. We should head back."

The two started to walk back toward the main clearing, the sunlight following them as the sky grew brighter. They had both flown there with monsuno, but it never felt right to be at the memorial when taking off. Besides, the monsuno loved being out in the more open areas of the park.

As they got to the main area, the sound of a ship got their attention. A cloud hopper hovered down, landing with the engine still running. The captain came running out, a slip of paper in his hand.

"Commander Alpha! Lieutenant Jinja!" he shouted, waving the paper, "We have good news!"

Alpha sighed inwardly. At least it wasn't something bad (though he hoped it was more then just successful raid of monsuno essence). "Alright then. What? What is it?"

The captain looked at the two, eyes landing on Jinja. She didn't even need to hear what he had to say, letting out a small gasp. The large man smiled, holding out the paper for them to take.

"We found him."

* * *

A/N: I'll unfortunately only be able to update this one more sporadically because I need to finish Discord and start moving Corruption along, but hopefully I can do more then once a month.

Review Review Review


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, 36-children-of-the-mind, and monsuno for the reviews.

Enjoy!

* * *

The street was quiet, though the chattering from inside the buildings was still somewhat audible. The street lights flickered, fighting off the night with their luminescence. A person stepped out from the shadows, looking back and forth a few times before crossing over to the other side. They stood there at the corner, glancing all around a few times before looking down at their phone. Half past three.

The sound of footsteps got their attention, they looked up to their right. Someone was standing by the alley.

Taking a breath, the one at the corner started to walk in that direction, their small figure barely visible as they ran.

The person who was standing by alley stepped into the shadows, knowing that if anyone saw them talking, both of their covers would be blown. The shorter of the two leaned against the wall, not daring to step into the alley.

"... Well?" They asked, "Whatcha' got for me?"

The one in the alley shifted, and a hand stuck out from the shadows. The other looked and saw a note, quickly taking it a stuffing it inside their coat jacket, pulling their cap down further as someone else started walking on the opposite street. It was just an old man, but one couldn't be too careful in this part of the city.

"Is that all? I thought you had some monsuno essence? Or was that just a ploy to get me here?" the one standing in the street asked, still watching the old man as he trailed away.

" _It depends. What rumors have you heard lately?"_ the other in the alley said, " _I heard Eklipse are planning on coming out of the underground. You know what they're planning?"_

The person scoffed, turning to look down the other direction.

"Yeah right. All that's left of them are a few randos wanting to prove themselves on the street. And Klipse's right hand men are still sitting on their hands considering how the guy is dead."

" _You don't know that."_

The one in the street shrugged, "Everyone is thinking it. Why would he have stayed out of the fight for monsuno for years? Because Chase Suno has been gone? I doubt it. It's only people like you who want a piece of him that cling onto the idea that he's alive."

It got silent. Must've struck a nerve.

"Speaking of Chase Suno," they continued, "Someone in S.T.O.R.M. apparently spotted him. Or at least got a report of where he is, it's hard to say."

" _I doubt that. I bet it was just Drezz acting smart again."_

"Maybe, but I would think that you'd jump at the chance of being able to find your leader," they said, glancing down the alley with a smirk, "Or do you like playing it safe in the shadows like you have been?"

The man in the alley snorted, turning his back on the other.

 _"Don't make me laugh. Nothing we do is safe,_ " he said, " _But if it makes any difference, I'll probably hear what this so called rumor is myself. Meanwhile, you should just scatter back to Forge, lest Dr. Tallis gets suspicious."_

The other huffed (probably still wanting monsuno essence) and turned on their heel. They went back in the direction that they came in, the man in the alley watching their retreating form until they turned the corner. He let out a sigh.

"... Is he really back?"

Dax shook his head. No. It was probably some new recruit wanting to get some attention or something. That's how it always was when there were reports of Chase being seen.

The dark-skinned man stuffed his hands into his pockets, going down the alley towards the other street. The walk back to his place wouldn't be long, but that also meant he needed to get out of the open as soon as possible.

As he kept his pace steady walking out of the alley and into the deserted street, he couldn't help but scoff at the thought of Chase being seen after all these years.

He refused to believe that there would be a leak of such vital information anyway. Especially if someone like Throttle got it before he did. If anything, he was expecting someone like Jinja or Bren to try and get in contact with him as soon as-

Dax stopped.

From the end of the street, he could make out someone coming his way. Not wanting to chance it, he circled back and went around towards a more public area. It was the shorter route, but he was reluctant to use it considering how he could easily be spotted by someone from the underground.

As he walked into the street, he kept his gaze and hat brim low. There were surprisingly more people around, given how early it was, and he hoped that he was just being paranoid.

Dax soon came up to the turn to his apartment, but was sure to overshoot it. He could use another entrance in the back in the other street. When he turned the corner, he made a quick glance to see if the one from before was still following. From the angle he wasn't sure. If anything, this was a sign that he needed to move on.

He certainly never stayed in the same place for more then a month, sometimes even a week. It was the only way to stay off everyone's radar. Perhaps that was the only reason Chase had yet to be seen (of course, that was giving him a little too much credit).

As Dax approached the fire exit in the back of the building, signaled by a single light, he did a double take towards the street one last time before going inside. Usually the door was bolted, but he made sure to keep it open just a crack when he left. The actual alarm wasn't working either, which helped keep things from being too suspicious.

Of course when he turned back around, he jumped at the other now standing under the backdoor light.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, hand instinctively going to his belt.

"Is that really how you want to start this?" Jinja asked, letting out a sigh, "Seriously? I can't believe you're even asking that."

The red-haired woman stepped away from the door, keeping her eyes trained on the other. Dax suddenly felt extremely aware of how unkept he probably looked (didn't really think about that kind of thing when on the run, but it probably made him look worse off then he was).

Jinja let out a sigh, "Well. I guess I ought to just get to the point then... We found Chase."

Dax blinked. Looks like that rumor that Throttle gave him was right.

"I just found out a few hours ago. Alpha's trying to put together a team to go find him, but I told him we'll go. You, me, and Bren," Jinja explained, "It only makes sense-"

"But does it?" Dax asked, turning so that he could have a view of the whole alleyway in case someone came this way (Jinja wasn't exactly being conspicuous with her S.T.O.R.M. jacket).

"You're forgetting that I'm also wanted just like Chase is," Dax sighed.

"You know that's not true," Jinja frowned, "I made sure to label you leaving as a retirement. You can come back at any time-"

Dax let out a bitter laugh, shifting on his feet. He caught sight of movement down by the street, and couldn't help but take a step towards the backdoor.

"Are you sure I could come back? Cause I would rather not. Not after how they treated my brother," Dax retorted, "And I doubt Chase feels the same way about returning given how he acted."

"What are you talking about?"

"You can't be that dim princess," he continued, already going back to nicknames, "If he really left with the intention of coming back, don't you think he would've by now? Or at least given any of us a head up?"

Jinja was silent, her gaze dropping. Dax huffed, wanting to get inside as soon as he could, "Face it. He doesn't need us. And he clearly didn't want any of us involved for him to have just walked right out of that hospital room without even telling us."

Dax strode over to the door. Jinja made no moves to stop him, so he assumed that was all she wanted to tell him-

"... He told Beyal."

Dax froze, hand stopping short of gripping onto the door handle. He balled his other hand into a fist. Turning, he saw Jinja still looking to the ground, a sullen and bitter look in her eyes. He eased his hand away from the knob, turning towards her.

"... You're not still going on about that are you?" he snorted, earning a glare from the red-haired woman, "Is that why you want to find Chase? To ask him about why he would rather ask Beyal to go with him then you or Glasses? Or is it because you're actually worried about your little monkfish-"

Jinja turned away, marching down the street. Her heeled boots clicked rather loudly and quickly came to a halt.

"Dax," she said, still facing away, "You shouldn't turn your back on Chase, just because things didn't work out between us."

The man let out a scoff, yanking the door open, "Good advice coming from the one who wanted to break up in the first place. The feeling was mutual, but if you want to start pointing fingers go ahead."

He walked into the building, letting the light from the street light disappear as the door shut.

HLP

By the time noon hit, Bren was completely spent. The entire morning was nothing but coding and updating the software of the cloud carrier's computer network. It wasn't too hard, but it wasn't exactly fast given how much data was there. In the end, he needed to squash a bunch of bugs in the system and delete a few useless files from years ago.

Of course, he also ended up having to review said files just in case he deleted some monsuno file that would help Dr. Suno. Then he spent at least two hours getting caught up in reading some of those reports, if only because some of them had to do with him and his friends that were taken back when Charlemagne was in charge.

"I can't believe she knew my shoe size," Bren muttered, then blushed when he remember other private matters that were somehow discovered by S.T.O.R.M.. He shook his head, and heard his stomach growl. He glanced up at the clock. Time for lunch.

"About time too. I was looking forward to seeing Tango," he sighed, stretching his arms above his head, then stood up. He trailed out of the tech labs, passing by a few others who were too caught up in their own work to look up. Bren let out a yawn, guessing that he should probably take a nap after lunch just for good measure.

(There was no telling how much longer this update would be)

As he got to the cafeteria (which had been recently renovated), he saw the trainee group of Strike Squad III on the far side. He remembered briefly how eager Alpha was to be able to make another group (though he was extremely nervous about it), and Bren half wanted to talk to the three that were over there. But those thoughts were halted as he caught the scent of bacon.

Jumping in line, he was quick to grab some fries, two club sandwiches, and a few bottles of water (he tended to forget to stay hydrated when working). With the thought of seeing his girlfriend, Bren put his food in a container and left the cafeteria.

She was in her typical spot.

That being the garden made by Mrs. Suno, which had gained a few more plants and flowers over the years. Whenever she had any time off, Tango was usually here. Bren walked up towards the pond and spotted her sitting by the white rose bushes.

Bren cleared his throat, and Tango turned around. She gave him a smile, but remained sitting as he came over. He felt his cheeks warm up at the sundress she was wearing (was today her day off? He needed to keep track of time better)

"Hey Bren," she said, then spotted the container as he held it up.

"I wasn't sure if you ate, so I brought you a sandwich," Bren said, plopping down. He opened the container up, the smell of fries wafting in the air. Tango giggled.

"I actually ate just before this, but thank you," she said, then grabbed and nibbled on a fry.

The two of them sat there in relative silence. Birds were chirping along, who were brought in to make the garden more calming. There were a few koi fish in the pond as well, and were quite large when they came up against the surface. Halfway through his sandwich, Bren looked over to see Tango looking out at the pond with a rather serious look.

"... Uh. Tango?" he asked, getting her attention, "Is something wrong?"

She blinked a few times, then looked over to him. She frowned, shaking her head.

"I don't know... Lately I've been getting this weird feeling," Tango said, "I don't know what it is... Mrs. Suno said to mediate on it, but I'm still not getting anything. Maybe it's just my imagination."

Bren set down his sandwich and wiped his mouth with his lab coat sleeve, "What is it?"

Tango let out a sigh, closing her eyes, "I have a feeling that it has to do with... Well, call me crazy, but I think it might be the Hand of Destiny again."

Bren inhaled sharply, immediately remembering the last time they had to deal with that group, and not just the original members like Petros. No. He thought about their experiments, and the pain they caused for all of his friends.

His hands clenched into fists. It was because of the Hand of Destiny that Chase had been injured, and then left out of nowhere with Beyal.

As soon as Bren heard that news, he and Jinja tried desperately to find him, but to their dismay it was impossible. Chase had somehow gone completely off the grid. And even after all these years, there was no way of telling where or what happened to him. And eventually, their group had become distant until it dissolved completely.

The Hand of Destiny caused so many problems... And the thought of them causing even more trouble made Bren's blood boil. But if they were gaining activity, then maybe Chase was out there needing their help!

As if reading his thoughts, Tango cringed at his expression and turned away. When he saw her reaction, Bren grabbed her hand and held it firmly.

"It'll be okay," he said calmly, "I believe that what ever feeling that you have is true, even if you're not sure. And we'll figure this out with Jinja and the others."

Tango still looked distraught, not looking up, "But... If it is the Hand of Destiny. You know what that'll mean for-"

Bren pressed a finger to her lips, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry," he said, "I don't want to talk about them right now. Not when my break is only for fifteen more minutes and I want to spend it with you. We can talk about it later with the others and decide what to do then. So let's just finish these fries!"

As emphasis, he grabbed a few with his free hand and shoved them in his mouth. Tango smiled, then giggled behind her hand. They continued to sit and eat for the next few minutes, listening to the birds again.

Bren mostly said that to reassure Tango, thought he knew that Jinja would want to know about anything concerning Chase. Heck, maybe Jinja was also getting weird monsuno feelings too. In which case, Chase was definitely out there needing their help!

As the container sat empty, Bren leaned backwards on his palms. He glanced over at the raven-haired woman, who still looked rather worried. Feeling adventurous, Bren tapped her shoulder and leaned forward until their lips met. Tango sighed, leaning further into their kiss.

Of course, it was then that _it_ happened.

" _How could he? How dare he! When we were so close!"_

 _"Calm down. It doesn't matter."_

 _"Indeed. We need to focus on our goal, and what it has always been. Even if our power has been depleted."_

 _Figures._

 _Figures in darkness._

It had only happened one other time, back when Team Core Tech was traveling to find the Pentoculous. Chase was having a hard time getting a vision, so Bren lamely thought a head rub would help. Apparently that was the exact same time that Chase's mom was trying to contact them, and Bren got the message instead.

 _"It's all Suno's fault! If it weren't for him and his meddling!"_

 _"He'll be the first to pay!"_

 _"Of course. But first, we need to regain our power. And then we can continue."_

It was like being lulled to sleep, only to be jerked awake with your heart beating a hundred miles a second. And this was more violent then the only other one he had.

" _He's still out there, I can feel it."_

 _"Of course. In which case, we need monsuno before we can even think about taking him."_

" _And then, we can finally destroy the lynchpin."_

 _Green eyes. Piercing green eyes._

"Bren? Bren, can you hear me? Bren!"

Someone was shaking his shoulders, but he could barely tell by the way the whole world continued to spin. If anything, motion just made him want to vomit.

"Bren! Get a hold of yourself!"

He gasped, vision finally clearing as it focused on the raven-haired woman hovering over him. Blinking rapidly, Bren let out labored breaths until he clutched onto his chest. His other hand clung onto the ground, digging in the grass as he tried to root himself.

"Bren? What's wrong?" Tango asked, trying to keep his attention when his eyes started to droop.

"... I... I don't know," he gasped, as he leaned back up his eyes focused on he ground. The memories of what he saw were still vivid, but he knew they would fade fast. He blindly reached the air, and eventually Tango took his hand in her own.

"Bren? Please. What did you see?"

HLP

It was evening when they all gathered. The group met up in Jinja and Tango's apartment after all their work had been done, though there were still a few of them missing. Jinja let out a sigh, bringing over a few drinks to the couches and sat down on one of the chairs. Alpha was standing, not wanting to sit as his foot tapped in thought. Tango and Bren were on the couch, though they were both sitting somewhat distantly from each other (which was a little odd). The only other one in the room was Kilo, who was leaning against the wall.

Jinja let out a sigh, and drank heavily from her coffee. After her meeting with Dax, she didn't really feel up to talking about what they were going to do about Chase. But if the others felt strongly about it, she needed to focus on the task at hand.

"Well. I'm sure you all know at this point," Alpha said, "We received a report from the south eastern islands of someone spotting a person resembling Chase. And while I don't think we should get our hopes up, we ought to take this seriously given the current situation."

"The current situation?" Bren asked.

"He's talking about the remaining members of Eklipse and the Forge Resistance," Kilo said. Alpha nodded in agreement.

"That's right," he said, "I have a feeling that this information will be getting into the enemies hands, and might already be there."

Jinja stiffened. She knew the different networks of intelligence that went on with monsuno, including Dax. Despite their own disagreements, she had to believe that he wouldn't sell out that kind of vital information. Not when Chase's wellbeing was at stake.

"Does that mean they're on the move?" Tango asked, cupping her mug in both hands.

"According to our reports, yes," Alpha sighed, "I have to believe that whoever gave the report also gave it to the enemy, given how it was an outside source. And while we should consider this to be an empty lead, I have the feeling that it isn't."

He fiddled with the core in his hand.

"Not only that," he continued, "but the report was very detailed, right down to the precise monsuno that was being used-"

"But Chase left his monsuno," Bren said, "They're still with his dad remember."

"Maybe, but the fact that someone is using Chase's monsuno is still suspicious. Especially if they were somehow replicated," Jinja said, standing up, "If anything, this is the closest lead that we've gotten in years that holds any weight... We should leave in the morning as soon as we can-

"Hold on!" Alpha said taking a step back in surprise, "We can't leave. We have our duties to attend to."

"Says the guy who leaves at 4 in the morning every day," Bren mumbled under his breath, only to get glared at by the red-haired man.

"No Alpha's right," Kilo said, kicking off from his spot on the wall, "We can't just rush in like we usually do. Besides. Me and Tango have to go help X-Ray and Bravo in the west. The Forge resistance are finally moving again."

They were all silent. It was common knowledge that Dr. Tallis went underground after their battle years ago, only resurfacing after he gained more followers. Now, it seemed that they were causing trouble again. What their motives now were unclear. But either way, they would need to be stopped.

But still. The fact that they managed to get a lead on Chase after so long was something they needed to consider.

"Well... How about Strike Squad II?" Bren asked. Alpha shook his head, crossing his arms.

"They're taking down the remaining amounts of Eklipse in the north," he said, "Me and Jinja are actually meant to go meet with them to discuss new tactics. The commandant is with them now, and we're meant to relieve him."

Bren frowned, and gave Jinja a desperate look. She shook her head, knowing that they were feeling the same way. That the two of them should be the ones to go find Chase. But with their new duties in S.T.O.R.M., they couldn't afford to go against orders.

As much as they wanted to, they couldn't go after Chase.

"... Well then," Bren muttered, "Why not send out Strike Squad III?"

Jinja inhaled sharply. She quickly looked up to see something fierce flash in Alpha's eyes. His hands clenched onto his arms. Bren looked at them all, none of them speaking up.

"... I don't think that would be a good idea. Their last mission wasn't exactly... Good," Tango said after a moment, "Maybe we should have Dr. Suno go out on his own? I'm sure he'd have a good idea on where Chase could be going."

"No. He wouldn't," Jinja shook her head, "If anything, we'd need someone like Dax to help track him down... But that's not happening any time soon."

Bren started grumbling. Jinja had told him briefly about her encounter with Dax earlier that day, but the three of them hadn't exactly parted in the best of ways. She was sure Bren was just being difficult (as usual) but she did wish that he was able to come with her to convince their old teammate. Maybe then Dax would've agreed...

"... I'm afraid to say it, but I think Bren's right on this one Alpha," Kilo said, "You know that Yowani comes from the Constell islands. They would have a good idea of where to look for Chase. Or at the very least know where he could be hiding."

Alpha clicked his tongue, annoyed at what his teammate was saying.

"I don't think Strike Squad III would even be able to handle this type of mission. Especially if the enemy really is wanting to jump on it as fast as we are," the red-haired man argued. Bren shuffled his feet, casting a glance at Tango before looking to the ground. For some reason he had been acting kind of strange all afternoon (but maybe he just needed sleep).

"But with what we're having to do, I don't think we have much of a choice," Tango said lightly, "Have we even told Chase's parents? What would they say about this?"

Jinja's gaze softened at that thought. That's right. Sophia would probably want them to go find Chase, and Dr. Suno would jump at the opportunity. No doubt Alpha didn't bother to say _anything,_ given how Jeredy needed to be kept safe for his research.

But regardless of that. They were still Chase's parents. And they were the ones who would be affected the most by this decision.

"... They're right Alpha," Jinja said, "If we can't ignore this rumor, then we need to act. Besides, if Strike Squad III finds Chase, then they can contact us as soon as possible. That way we're at least checking up on this rumor."

Alpha tapped his foot a few times. With the rest of them in agreement, he was on a losing battle.

He let out a sigh, shoulders dropping in defeat.

"... Fine," he said, turning and going exit, "I'll brief and send them out in the morning. And as soon as they give us the word, we're heading out."

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever and monsuno power for the reviews.

Enjoy!

* * *

 _"Even with the disappearance of the leader of Eklipse, we need to start taking direction. Now more then ever."_

 _The world council sat at the long table, speaking out to Jon Ace as the commandant stood in front of them, the only light in the room focused on him. He still had a decent amount of bandages around his arms and face from the fight that took place between the Forge Resistance and S.T.O.R.M. a week prior. But if he felt any pain, he didn't show it. Jeredy and many commanders and lieutenants were sitting behind him on the benches lined up along the single path leading in and out of the room. All of them watched with baited breath._

 _"Commandant Marshall Jon Ace," the woman to the left said, "It has been decided by the council that now is the appropriate time to start pulling your troops together. That last battle has only proved that the Forge Resistance has become too powerful and must be stopped."_

 _"I understand," he said, nodding, "In that case, I feel that it is a good a time as any to announce who I have chosen for Trey's replacement."_

 _The three at the front each nodded to each other, "You may proceed."_

 _"Thank you," Jon said, then turned around. He motioned towards the red-haired teen sitting next to Jeredy. Alpha stiffened immediately, and shakily stood up. Slowly, he made his way next to Jon._

 _"I would like to request that Strike Squad Specialist Alpha be given the title of Lieutenant," the commandant said, "He has been working closely with others within higher ranks for the past year, and is my first choice for the position."_

 _The three exchanged looks, Alpha nervously moving from one foot to the other._

 _"Isn't he part of the team that was assembled by Charlemagne?" the man on the right asked._

 _"He is, but it was a team originally assembled by Commander Trey," Jon Ace explained._

 _"He's a bit young. Don't you think?"_

 _Jon shook his head, "I can vouch from experience that despite his age, his leadership skills are exceptional within the battlefield, and even more so with monsuno. In fact, he's been acting as a temp for Lieutenant Trey while also leading the Strike Squad for this past year with great success."_

 _Alpha had to turn away as his cheeks grew red, but Jon continued to face the council with a straight expression. The three exchanged words under their breath, and gave a nod to each other before speaking again._

 _"We approve of your choice," the head of the council said, "We'll get started on the official paperwork, as well as bestowing the title when we promote the other troops."_

 _"Thank you," Jon said, then nudged Alpha with his arm. The teen jumped a little, and gave a salute._

 _"Th-Thank you! I won't disappoint you!" he said._

 _"You are excused. Lieutenant Alpha" the woman said, then looked to the rest of the crowd, "We will be going into a private session. All those with other business may wait outside."_

 _The rest of the soldiers started to trail out the room, including Alpha. Jeredy briefly saw the teen reunite with his teammates outside the room (nearly falling over into their arms in relief). As the doors closed, he and Jon Ace were left with the world council and one other sitting on one of the benches on the other side of the aisle. A woman with short brown hair and bright green eyes. Jeredy paid her no attention. Not when he had to figure out why he was called in._

 _It was strange to be summoned to see the council. Especially when they hadn't even explained why. He just hoped it didn't have to do with Chase's defection..._

 _"Jon Ace. What is the status of the rest of the Strike Squad and Team Core Tech?" the head of the council asked, the tone shifting, "Even though that fight at the Tiger's Lair was a year ago, they seem to all be having difficulty recovering."_

 _"I take full responsibility of the situation," Jon said earnestly, "As well as for the past few months. I should've paid more attention to their actions prior to the whole incident. They all can still work. And we have been trying to find the others from Team Core Tech that went missing-"_

 _The woman in the room let out a scoff, gaining the attention of the others. When she stood Jeredy took in her full appearance, finding that he didn't recognize her at all._

 _"Don't you mean deserted?" she said, crossing her arms, "I would've thought that'd be obvious. You've been too slack with them. I doubt you'd have any control of the situation with any of your troops. Perhaps that's why the old commandant got free and my own squad had to come in to save your asses after half the temple was already in ruins."_

 _Jon's hands clenched into fists, though he kept his lips pursed._

 _"Lieutenant Diellza, you're speaking out of line," the man to the right said, "It's to our understanding that your team was also injured though correct?"_

 _"Hardly," she waved off, "Strike Squad II was fully prepared for the situation, even with the other team running around like headless chickens trying to find the old commandant, Eklipse, and this 'Hand of Destiny' group. And in the end my team were the ones who apprehended Charlemagne and... That boy."_

 _Jon frowned at her, "Still, that doesn't give you the right to feel ill towards Trey's team. If anything, this shows the necessary steps that we'll need to take towards forming stronger teams. Which is something I wanted to speak to the council about."_

 _The woman huffed, eventually sitting back down and crossing her legs. It finally clicked who she was in Jeredy's mind. But when one of the council members cleared their throat, he turned back to the center of the room._

 _"What did you mean Commandant Marshall?"_

 _"I would like another Strike Squad team formed," he responded, "It was something that Trey had mentioned before, and with the state of S.T.O.R.M. I feel this would be a good time as any to start, especially seeing how Strike Squad II was a success."_

 _He glanced at Diellza for a brief moment, watching her get flustered at the compliment. Jeredy couldn't help but grin at Jon's idea. They had talked about it earlier that day with much enthusiasm, and it would be a nice way of giving remembrance to Trey. Jon had even started finding potential recruits with the help of the first Strike Squad. After whispering under their breath, the council turned back to Jon._

 _"I'm afraid we're going to have to deny that request," the head of the council said, earning a small gasp from Jon. He stiffened himself immediately._

 _"Sir, may I ask why?"_

 _"You have the leader of the first Strike Squad leaving his team, which means you already have to fill that position first," the man to the right said, then glanced over towards Jeredy, "And from the sound of things, Team Core Tech is also in disarray. I would think that you would put those two in priority before attempting to create another team."_

 _"Agreed," the head of the council nodded, "Until those two are stable and you find a commander who will assemble a team, your request will be put on hold."_

 _"... I understand," Jon said, resigned._

 _"Good. In that case."_

 _The head of the council turned to Diellza._

 _"Lieutenant. We'll be transferring custody of Charlemagne to you and your base."_

 _"Of course," Diellza replied, ignoring Jeredy's surprised look._

 _"H-Hold on!" he exclaimed, standing up, "Is that really necessary? She hardly poses a threat anymore-"_

 _"Silence Doctor Suno. This is a matter of the safety and defense of S.T.O.R.M.," the woman on the left said, then looked to Jon, " You realize that she has been given too much leniency with letting her stay here on the cloud carrier. And from the past it is clear that she has the ability to escape."_

 _Jon frowned, and glanced briefly over to Jeredy. The two of them knew that the only reason she was allowed to roam the halls was to stay with her son (but even that was extremely strict with three guards watching her at all times). And from that alone it was clear that she was more interested in the wellbeing of her son than to try pulling a fast one._

 _(And Jeredy could only imagine the wraith she would incur from being separated from him)._

 _Jon simply nodded, knowing that speaking out of turn would stir up trouble, for many reasons._

 _"And speaking of Charlemagne," the man in the center continued, then looked over towards Jeredy. The others also glanced at him, making the doctor suddenly aware that he was being addressed._

 _"Doctor Suno," the head of the table said, "What is the status of this... Experiment that was taken into custody? The one from the Hand of Destiny."_

 _Jeredy scratched the back of his neck, "Well... There hasn't been any change in his status since the last time I spoke to you all. And I'm not sure how to go about curing him, if that's even possible."_

 _"If I may," Jon interjected when he saw the expressions of the council, "this boy that was brought in has a condition that isn't like anything Dr. Suno has seen before. He needs time to fully understand what this child is before we can determine-"_

 _"Weren't you able to see what he is capable of during your battle?" the woman questioned. Jon shook his head._

 _"To my knowledge, he wasn't present during most of the fight. And according to members of Team Core Tech and both Strike Squads, he had been heavily injured at some point that left him incapacitated. At the moment, he poses no threat. Especially given how he's not even conscious."_

 _Jeredy shifted on his feet._

 _"At the moment that might be so. But what about the future?" the man to the right asked. Both Jeredy and Jon exchanged looks, but didn't respond. "You two do realize that the incident in the Tebab mountains only took place because he was part of a group that could take on the entire army of S.T.O.R.M.. Someone - anyone - who is capable of such feats can't be taken lightly."_

 _"And rumor has it that Charlemagne has been seen in the restricted area of the hospital wing," the woman on the right said, "Another reason why she needs to be sent away. If she's planning on using this child somehow, we can't afford any chances.."_

 _Jeredy inhaled sharply. So they didn't know..._

 _"You must understand what that means don't you doctor?" the head of the council said, lacing his fingers together. The rest of them looked down at him with cold stares. Jeredy took a step back, eyes wide. After regaining his composure, he took a breath._

 _"I do know what it would mean," he said, stepping forward so that he was standing next to Jon, "But until he explains himself, I don't think that he should be held accountable for actions that weren't his own. He's not just any child after all-"_

 _"That is obvious," the man to the right said, "A normal child couldn't break in and out of prisons, or take on full monsuno like it were some sort of game. While he is under your custody as a patient, he is not your responsibility. And we don't have the ability to fund research into monsuno while also trying to find an impossible cure. You have to admit, cutting losses when they might be more harmful then helpful are necessary. especially if he can't fight back."_

 _Jeredy clenched his fists and swallowed hard. Even though he knew what the world council was suggesting, the thought of having to pull through with it was troubling. His hands clenched into fists at his side._

 _"... I understand," he said, keeping his gaze low._

 _"In that case, you're excused Dr. Suno."_

 _He gave a short bow and turned back towards the exit. As he walked out and was briefly blinded by the hall light, he let out a curse under his breath._

 _"How could they..." Jeredy mumbled, the door clicking shut._

 _He hated the fact that he had to go through with the council's decisions, especially when they requested the worst from him. Sure the worst type of orders he had ever received were from Charlemagne when he worked with Emmanuel and Jon, but that was different. No one was around to challenge her authority._

 _But now._

 _"... Um. Excuse me."_

 _He looked up to see a teen in a Strike Squad uniform with bright orange hair. Jeredy blinked a few times, trying to recall where he had seen him before._

 _"Are they finished in there?" he asked, looking towards the door that Jeredy had left through. The doctor shook his head._

 _"No. Still private session," he said, then turned so that they were facing each other, "... You're part of Strike Squad II aren't you?"_

 _The teen's face immediately lit up, and he puffed his chest up in pride._

 _"Yup! That's my squad! And I'm their leader, Lux Apollo!" he said, then quickly blinked a few times, his lips twitching, "I-I mean. One! My name- i-it's One! Great leader with even greater monsuno!"_

 _Jeredy couldn't help but stare, and let out a chuckle. For some reason he couldn't think of this kid as a Strike Squad leader, if only because Alpha had been so serious. If anything, Lux reminded him more of Chase..._

 _His gaze dropped in reflection._

 _So much had happened to his family, constantly being torn apart, mostly because of the Hand of Destiny. And the World Council was right. They did pose a threat to everything. Monsuno. Humans. Everyone. It made sense that the council would seek justice for those crimes._

 _However, the doctor couldn't fully believe that was the case with this child turned experiment. Especially with how Driftblade had reacted, and how Charlemagne was currently trying everything she could do stay close. The Hand of Destiny may have been evil, but that wasn't the same for their victims._

 _Because that's what Charlemagne's family was. And what his was..._

 _"Lux. What are you doing?"_

 _Jeredy jerked, and turned around to see Lieutenant Diellza coming out from the room, glaring a bit at the orange-haired teen._

 _"I thought I told you to wait in the cafeteria or something," she said._

 _"Oh. I was. But then I ended up hanging out with the other Strike Squad," Lux replied, "I can't believe they get to travel around the world on this thing! And their food is surprisingly tasty. I thought you said it was the worst."_

 _Diellza let out a huff, putting her hands on her hips, "If you're done visiting, why are you standing here? You should be waiting in the cloud hopper, I have more business to take care of."_

 _"Oh. R-right!" the teen said, then turned around to head down the hallway. Jeredy watched, wishing to speak to him more._

 _That thought was halted when he saw the glare that Diellza was giving him._

 _"And what are you doing talking to my Squad leader?" she asked, "You better not be thinking of putting him in charge of the other Strike Squad to replace that other kid. 'Cause I'm not about to give him up for that failure of a team."_

 _Jeredy raised a brow. He glanced behind her briefly, seeing the door still shut._

 _"Why do you dislike them so much?" he asked, "That much was clear by the way you spoke to the World Council."_

 _She scowled deeply, then looked away towards the direction that Lux left in._

 _"I don't have to explain myself to some stuffy scientist," she said, "Let's just say I didn't agree with the old management around here. Makes me glad to know that vile woman is finally locked up."_

 _She turned and looked intensely at the doctor. He raised a brow._

 _"...What is it?"_

 _"It's clearly obvious that you and Charlemagne are up to something," she huffed, crossing her arms, "You seem awfully interested in this... Boy that was brought in. Especially considering how there were two other monsuno hybrids brought back, including the Commandant himself."_

 _Jeredy let out a gasp, "How do you know about that?"_

 _"My son tends to have a running mouth when he gets excited," she shrugged, looking off towards the side. Then she stared intensely at him. Neither of them said anything for what felt like forever. Eventually, Jeredy turned away._

 _"... I wouldn't work with Charlemagne on anything," he said, "You're just reading too much into things."_

 _"Maybe I am," she said then started walking away, "But I just think it's a little odd that you would be concerning yourself with this boy when your own son is missing. Either that or you are planning something with her, and the Commandant Marshall."_

 _As Diellza left, Jeredy's hands clenching into fists. Frustrated, he turned and walked in the opposite direction back towards the hospital wing. No doubt Charlemagne would be removed soon._

 _Which left no time to lose_

HLP

The hidden caves by the beach were always something to be explored. Many children who loved to get lost or play games often came down during the low tides. One such group was splashing around in the shallows, laughing joyously.

One looked over towards the caverns, its depths shadowed, and let out a gasp.

"What is it?" one of the others asked, looking towards the darkened cave. The last one that was still splashing stopped when he noticed the other two standing there.

"Um... I'm not sure," the first child said, "I think I heard something in there."

He took a few steps forward, an unknown noise coming from inside. They all flinched. The first child continued forward.

"What are you doing?!" the one still in the water asked, his voice growing meek, "What if its a monster or something?"

"Oh please. That's just a story that your grandpa told you," the second child said, a girl that pouted deeply. Despite the other two bickering, the first child continued towards the cave. He could see something inside, but it was hard to tell. Soon, the other two's argument fell silent as they watched him get closer.

There was a hissing noise from inside that made them all halt. Something moved in the shadows. Something _big_!

The one leading gulped, taking a single step forward. Bright blue eyes leered out of the shadows. A large snake head rose out, hissing loudly.

Frozen in fear, the group of children watched as two more rose from behind. It was only when it let out a loud shriek did they let out a round of squeals and flee back down the beach.

A white-haired man popped out from behind some of the rocks, barely catching the sight of the children running through the trees. He looked up at the cobra with a glare.

"Glowblade, that was rude. I thought it was actually someone dangerous," Beyal said, then turned to go back inside. The monsuno let out another hissing noise, and followed behind. The monk new that it was just being protective, but insisted that there was no point. After all, they hadn't exactly seen any of their past enemies for years (and a gaggle of children could hardly be considered threatening).

As he passed through the cavern halls, the sound of trickling water became louder. Eventually, he and Glowblade ended up in a cave with water coming through from one of the nearby rivers in an abundant waterfall. Giant pools of water were all around, cascading into each other until they inevitably led back down towards the lagoon leading into the ocean. The smell of salt water was present, though the water flowing through was fresh. This was the only place they could get water for the camp without the chance of being seen..

Glowblade lingered by the entrance as Beyal took steps further in. He turned around when he realized the monsuno wasn't following.

"You don't have to be that way," he said, "I'm sure no one else is around. And they wouldn't go near Chase. I'm sure they're just going back into town."

Glowblade let out a hiss, then proceeded to move down into one of the larger pools. Its tail slumped into the smaller ones as it leaned down. The warm climate often got to the monsuno, so it wanted to be in the cool water or the caverns hidden from the sun as much as possible. Beyal let out a laugh, and walked over towards another pool.

Silently, he started to undress, hearing the birds chirping through the large crack running along the ceiling. Because they had been staying in a warm area, all that he wore was a simple shirt and pants (Chase said that having cloaks or jackets would make them suspicious). With only a pair of boxer shorts on, Beyal sat on the edge of the water, letting out a sigh as he dipped his feet inside.

Glowblade let out another hiss. When Beyal looked up, it splashed at him, its large tail easily sweeping a wave over the teen.

"Agh! Stop!" he laughed, holding his hands up in a weak defense, "You wouldn't be acting that way if the others were here!"

Beyal stopped at that thought, shoulders slumping as his gaze fell. His monsuno noticed the immediate change, and started to curl around in the water instead.

Besides Chase, Beyal hadn't seen nor heard anything about Jinja, Dax, Bren, or anyone else that he knew. He tried not to be worried about them, considering how all has been calm for the past few years. But sometimes there were times like this where he missed them, and the longing for the past was strong.

The monk shook his head, pushing away those lingering thoughts. He needed to get back to Chase after all. Reminiscing wasn't something he could afford to get lost in.

He reached up and undid the tie that kept most of his hair up, feeling it drop around his shoulders. He paused for a moment. Briefly, his fingers ran through the back.

" _Were you going to finally cut it? It is getting long."_

He turned around, seeing a familiar tall woman standing there by the wall. Her arms were crossed over her chest, simply staring off to the side.

"Probably not," Beyal responded, his hand falling to his lap. After another moment, he took a breath and dove into the pool.

The water was crisp, faintly lit up by the sunlight coming through the crack in the ceiling. Coming back up for air was refreshing, the warm air giving off a comforting feeling. He drifted along on his back, letting out slow breaths as he listened to Glowblade and the trickling water.

Unfortunately, trying to clear his thoughts just meant they trailed back to his friends.

Whenever he was left to ponder, visions would reveal where he and Chase needed to go to. That's what had been leading the two of them for so long since Chase wasn't able to do it anymore.

But for some reason, the past few weeks Beyal had been getting nothing but visions of his friends. Their presence haunted him, if only because these type of visions had not come up at all during travel. The kind of visions that focused on the five of them once more.

It was becoming more frequently for some reason, and he didn't know why.

" _I bet it must be driving you crazy,"_ Duo smirked, " _You must be missing them now. I bet that's it."_

He glanced up towards her, frowning. Over the years, Beyal had found out a lot about her previous life as a monk serving with Master Ey and the rest of his people, though there was still something off about her. And despite his want to know more, Duo typically appeared and disappeared without any warnings, making it difficult to hold a conversation.

Over the years, Beyal just learned to accept her presence (and that she was probably just another type of vision that he could see). Although, he couldn't help but wonder why _she_ was the one that he could see so often. Maybe it was because of her ties to the Hand of Destiny, or even the fragment of meteor infused with monsuno essence that she carried, but he had a feeling that wasn't it...

Beyal let out a sigh, looking back up to the ceiling.

Out of everyone, the only one he wanted to speak to was Master Ey. But even he had been missing from visions. The lack of his master's presence was unnerving, especially with all that's been happening over the past four years. Chase once mentioned how he was able to speak to Master Ey before, but hardly spoke about it at all. (Beyal was somewhat convinced that Chase only said that to be nice).

After a few more minutes of drifting along (with Glowblade happily dipping into the other large ponds of water) Beyal lifted himself out, eventually sitting back down on the edge. He watched his monsuno as he dried off, knowing that it wanted to stay as long as it could. Normally, it was only when he was away from Chase that he let his monsuno out of their cores, so he didn't have the heart to call it back so soon.

" _I'm sure it would be fine now,"_ Duo said from behind, practically standing a foot away, " _You know they don't like staying in their cores for very long. And they can sense you're troubled."_

"I don't want to make Chase feel unhappy," Beyal retorted, "He hasn't gotten the chance to see his own monsuno for years... And I'm sure he would just feel bad if he saw mine again."

He pulled his legs from the water, intending on getting dressed and going back to Chase. But he hesitated, staring down as the water's surface rippled along.

Chase hadn't seen his monsuno for years, given how he gave them all up when they left S.T.O.R.M.. And maybe that was what was preventing him from reconnecting to his monsuno sight. And maybe if Chase actually got to see them again he could make progress. But...

He felt the woman's presence come closer.

 _"... Is it because of this?"_ Duo sighed. Beyal let out a shiver as he felt her touch graze lightly against his back along sensitive flesh, _"This ugly reminder trailing down your spine?"_

He ignored the strange fridged feeling he got from her touch (something that was unnatural in general given how she didn't have a body). Instead, he reached over and grabbed his shirt. He could still feel her fingers tracing along sensitive skin as he slipped the cloth back on.

"That wasn't Chase's fault," Beyal said earnestly, "And you both need to stop saying that it is. It's been... It's in the past."

He felt her hand move away, and he stood up to redress. Glowblade, knowing they were going to leave, slowly left the cooler water in the shadows and lingered by the entrance to the tunnel leading out. After making sure he had everything, Beyal started to head towards the monsuno.

" _He's becoming more unstable,"_ Duo stated, _"It's obvious by the past few months of you two wandering without any direction. He's not getting better. He's regressing. You may not see it, but you can feel it in his soul."_

Beyal stopped, silently pondering.

He didn't want to admit that she was right. But Chase had been desperate to try and reconnect to his monsuno sight with no success. And without Locke around, there was no way of telling if he could even spin out.

"... Glowblade, return."

The monsuno reluctantly went back into its core. When it disappeared with a pop, Beyal held onto the core, gazing down at it.

They had traveled to all the places that were connected to the Five Tribes and had looked for any information on the Hand of Destiny and their research to no avail (and it wasn't like Duo was willing to say anything).

There was nothing else they could do, so did that mean Chase wasn't meant to have his monsuno sight anymore? Was his role as a monsuno controller over? Then would they ever be able to go back and see-

There was screaming in the distance, making Beyal jerk. Duo let out a small chuckle.

 _"Better get back to your patient there, little master."_

When he turned around, Beyal was left alone in the dark cavern. A sliver of sunlight still faintly streaming through.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks to monsuno power and ChasexJinjaForever for the reviews! This chapter wasn't actually planned out the way that it is. But for some reason the POV's just kind of write themselves as the story gets going.

Enjoy!

* * *

" _-And at the moment, we can't seem to find where the rest of Eklipse are. Tracking down these mercenaries has been rather difficult."_

Lux nodded, looking back to the blonde speaking to him on the communication monitor. He had been talking to Lucian for the past hour on the situation of S.T.O.R.M. holding back the remaining forces of Eklipse. Except the team had apparently lost the trail on a few of them.

"Do you at least know if Klipse was there?" he asked, "He's the one we have to worry about. The followers are pretty harmless without his lead."

"Don't be so sure about that Lux," Diellza said from her seat, standing up to join in the conversation. She looked to the screen, "Lucian. Even if you can't find Klipse, try to at least find out why they were in that region. Afterwards your next step is to meet with Strike Squad I to help take out the Forge Resistance. They might know where Klipse is hiding."

Lucian nodded, _"I understand ma'am. We'll call back when there's any new development."_

The screen clicked off. Lux shifted on his feet nervously. The Lieutenant turned to him from the action.

"What is it Lux?" she asked.

"Well... I was wondering if I could finally go out and join my team," the orange-haired teen said, fiddling his fingers together. Diellza raised a brow.

"Lux. You're team is plenty capable of handling this without you there."

"I-I know they can take care of things," he said, "But I'd really like to join the fight again!"

He knew that she was wanting him to stay at the base as their main source of offense while most of the other troops were out fighting and defending local cities, but waiting around wasn't his thing. Especially if all his friends were off with their monsuno without him.

(That and he knew that Spritelight was wanting out of its core)

"And what will happen if someone decides to attack the base," she asked with a hand on her hip, "Our defense will be next to nothing with everyone else gone. And you're my best fighter here."

Lux winced, bowing his head somewhat. He knew that no one else at the base had as much command over monsuno as he did, and that made it necessary to stay. But still...

Staring down at his feet briefly, he shook his head.

"No. I have a feeling I should be there with my team," he said, griping onto Spritelight's core. She frowned at him, but he continued to hold his ground (though he really didn't like the look she was giving him).

Eventually, she let out a sigh.

"Alright," Diellza said, "I'll make a few calls. Some soldiers from the Ticia region will be showing up soon, so they can be reassigned here in your place. Go get your things. And do a quick patrol."

"Sure thing!" he nodded, running out the door. He couldn't help but grin the whole time he trailed back to his room. Lately he had been pressing more against his leader's orders, if only because he knew that his abilities as a monsuno controller were becoming rather stagnant while hanging around in the base for so long. And if his team was going to meet up with the other Strike Squad, he didn't want to be out of practice!

Even though both teams had a shaky first encounter, whenever they did meet things were much smoother now. (At least whenever they could meet up.)

As he ran through the hall, he caught a glimpse down one of the halls and spotted someone wandering about. He slid to a halt, and walked up to the confused woman.

"Excuse me," he said, "Did you need help finding something?"

The woman turned to him. She wore simple clothes- a purple button up with a black skirt and S.T.O.R.M. jacket- and had black hair that was pulled back. She blinked at him, then gave a quick smile.

"Oh! Thank goodness someone was here! I though I'd wander without any direction for days," she said, "My name is Melody, and I'm looking to visit my sister. You probably know her as Charlemagne. I-I was told that she was here."

Lux's lips twitched, and he instantly stiffened. He had been told that the old Commandant had family that might try to contact her, but it had been years since she had been moved to this base. And her lone sister _never_ made an appearance. But by the look on her face, this woman clearly didn't know about the status of Charlemagne.

"Um. Sure," he said, "she's in one of the holding cells. Uh. Do you, know about that?"

The raven-haired woman blinked, then let out a sigh. She nodded with a wistful frown.

"Unfortunately yes. But. I was wanting to make amends with her now," she explained, "We left on bad terms you see, a-and I was hoping that maybe we could finally start to patch things up... Though I know I'm the last person she'd want to see. We didn't exactly part ways at the best of times..."

"No, I think it'll be fine!" Lux said enthusiastically, "You should go see her! Maybe you can have a positive effect on her."

He turned to go down the hall, and stopped to look back when she didn't follow him immediately.

"Oh. This way! We can take the elevator down."

The woman looked in his direction and let out a small giggle.

"Sorry! I have a hard time seeing right now," she said, then followed along. The teen turned and led the way forward.

HLP

 _"Try all you want, it's never going to work."_

 _He ignored the voice that constantly spoke to him. The voice that was only there to criticize and keep him from trying. It continued, chuckling throughout and making it even harder to ignore._

 _"Why are you so persistent when it's so much easier to just give in? Stressing out like this will only make it worse, especially for everyone around you."_

 _"Don't you bring anyone else into this again," he snapped. The voice snickered._

 _"Finally talking back today? Or are you just irritated by the truth?"_

 _"..."_

 _"Well, whatever. It's not like you're getting any closer to finding a cure. You're best chance at that had gone the second you left that lunatic of a doctor behind in S.T.O.R.M.-"_

 _"Don't you dare talk about my dad that way!"_

 _Anger. Boiling inside._

 _He gasped, trying to regain control. He knew the voice had been baiting his feelings, but he was more vulnerable in this place._

 _And submitting to those feelings would only result in-_

 _A sharp scream._

Chase's eyes flew open. His whole body jerked upward at the sound that rang in his ears. Disorientated, he frantically looked around, trying to figure out where he was. He was relieved to see no one in his tent, and let out a sigh.

"Just a dream," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. It took him a few moments, but eventually the cold sweat going down his brow stopped and his breathing slowed. He glanced to the other side of the tent and saw it empty. Just as he was about to lie back down, footsteps started coming closer.

"H-Hey!" someone said, coming inside. It was a girl with large turquoise eyes. She blinked in surprise at seeing Chase.

"Oh! Is the white-haired man back yet?" she asked. Chase shook his head.

"No. I don't know where he is," Chase said, watching her pout and leave.

He slowly got up and stretched, gazing around their tent. Beyal must've gone somewhere to meditate, since his cores were gone. Chase let out a sigh.

"I guess I ought to get started on work," he said, stretching his arms up with a yawn. As he left the tent into the warm sunlight, he could already see most of the others in the camp busying themselves away. Some of the children were running about amongst the trees.

"Must've slept in... And no one bothered to wake me up?..."

"Chase!"

He turned around, and saw Beyal running up to him, "What is it? Who's in trouble?"

Chase raised a brow, "What do you mean? Nothing's going on right now. But Lia was looking for you-"

A woman came running by, looking all around until she caught sight of the two.

"Oh! Master!" she said, then went to Beyal as she gripped her ears, "I-I can hear it again! I-It's louder now!"

Chase blinked, then crossed gazes with Beyal. He realized immediately that she was talking about the Silent Scream.

Without missing a beat, Beyal took both her hands into his and walked her over towards one of the fires nearby. He shooed a few of the kids that were playing by it, and sat down beside it. Chase took a few steps closer, watching as the monk and woman sat there. And even though he couldn't hear the screaming, he could see the two of them flinch.

Beyal took a deep breath, "Remember, you need to calm your mind. Situate yourself in the present and remove any doubt."

As the woman kept a hold on his hands, keeping her eyes closed and breathing slowly, Chase watched on with mild interest. He knew that Beyal was actually just redirecting her monsuno sight, and that his words were nothing but a distraction. It was a temporary solution to the problem, as Chase had learned, but it at least worked for a while.

Sure enough, her expression grew calmer until finally, she opened her eyes. She looked all around, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you so much, master," she said, gratefully rocking Beyal's hands. He nodded to her with a smile, "I-If it's alright with you, I would like to thank you for your help. I-If you would have me that is."

Beyal stood, helping her up as well.

"That would be lovely," he said, "But unfortunately I have someone else I need to attend to and need to leave today. Sorry."

The woman frowned in disappointment, and let out a sigh, "Alright. But at least let me put together something for you to take along! You have been helpful to me and my sister."

Beyal nodded again, and she walked back towards the center of the camp. As soon as she was out of range Chase walked over to him.

"Are we really leaving again?" he asked.

"You know we have to," Beyal said with a sigh, "You can hear it to right? Those screams have been getting louder. We have to be getting closer right?"

Chase grimaced, but nodded in agreement. They had been journeying for a few months now amongst the islands, trying to find the ruins of one of the Five Tribes. But for the most part, they hit a dead end.

That is, until Beyal started to hear the strange screaming.

From what he described, it was a startling shrill noise that would rise up without any warning. There was no telling who or what was causing it. But for some reason, only those with monsuno sight were able to hear it. And that alone was disturbing.

 _"Especially because you can't even hear it right?"_

Chase grit his teeth, forcing back the voice in his mind. He knew it was impossible for him to hear the screams, even after years of trying to reconnect to his monsuno sight. As much as he tried to pretend that he could, he had made no progress at all this entire time. If Beyal had noticed, he never said anything.

"We _should_ leave anyway," Chase said, stirring his thoughts away, "We've been here for a little too long. I have the feeling that someone's coming, and the last thing we need is to get in a fight with monsuno. Especially with all these people around."

Beyal nodded, looking towards the others in the camp before walking over to their own tent. As the two of them started to pack their things, Chase couldn't help but hesitate every so often. He didn't like this whole thing of leaving unannounced with other people warming up to him. Even though it was easy at first, it was becoming a reminder of how lonely his life was starting to become (not to mention how much it reminded him of his dad).

He stared up at the sky through some of the trees, wondering for the first time in a while what the rest of his friends were up to.

Were they all doing alright? Were they still looking for him? Or did they decide to move on? Any answer he came up with wasn't good. And as much as he wanted to send a message out, he knew that would just put a target on him.

A hand on his shoulder halted his thoughts.

"C'mon Chase," Beyal said, voice filled with sympathy, "... You know we can't stay. Not with..."

Beyal trailed off, and Chase let out a sigh. He folded his blanket together and stuffed it in his bag. The other shifted away, going back to packing his own things.

" _Do you really want another incident? Cause you know that's what'll happen if they find you!"_

He stopped again, frowning at the voice that continued to bait him.

" _Kukuku... You would like having that kind of power again I'm sure. But then again, your friends might think otherwise when they know what kind of monster you are!"_

'... You don't have to remind me,' Chase thought, then turned around and watched Beyal. Faintly, he could trace the outline of four large gash marks under the white-haired man's shirt. The voice started to cackle, reading all Chase's thoughts of guilt, even as he tried to push them further away.

HLP

Diellza watched the screen, seeing the map of the world displayed. Small dots all over in various colors showed their troops, the enemy, and other factors dealing with monsuno. Her eyes lingered on the ones farthest to the right highlighted in yellow.

She frowned deeply, leaning forward in her chair. That was her troops, far off where only a small amount of Eklipse were while a larger skirmish was going on elsewhere.

Of course, she hardly had an say in the situation. Alpha had seized control of most of the operations dealing with the Forge Resistance, leaving many of the other bases to deal with damage control of the remaining members of Eklipse. It wasn't bad considering how few of them were left, but one could hardly call it much of a challenge.

"That kid's getting over his head," she huffed. She had a feeling that Alpha was using this as an opportunity to gain ranks again, considering how her team was left without much direction. It didn't matter though. Her team would no doubt gain ranks in another month at the pace they were going.

She looked at the time, then stretched her arms up.

"... I suppose I should go check if the other troops showed up," she said, sitting up. As she trailed down the hall, she couldn't help but frown at how Lux wanted to leave for the front lines. He was a good fighter, and could take on the best of S.T.O.R.M. in a heartbeat.

Which was why she wanted him at the base to watch over Charlemagne.

Even if the old commandant had been rather dormant in her actions, Diellza refused to fall for this ploy. That woman had been scheming for awhile when it came to trying to reclaim S.T.O.R.M. (not that it was possible by this point), and the Lieutenant wasn't about to let her defenses fall when it came to the possibilities. She was glad that the experiment that Jeredy Suno had been looking over had at least been terminated when they left, and that her old monsuno was taken care of during the battle four years ago. But still, she wasn't about to underestimate what Charlemagne was capable of.

As Diellza continued down the hall, she heard Lux's voice babbling along. She rolled her eyes, he was probably talking to one of the guards again.

However, as she approached his voice, whoever he was talking to made her halt.

"That's..." she muttered, then started to briskly walk down the hall until she saw Lux and a raven-haired woman standing by the elevator. She jogged to catch up, gaining both of their attention.

"Oh! Lieutenant!" Lux said, then started to fidget, "Um... I was just uh..."

"We were going to go down and see my sister, Charlemagne," the woman next to him said, then held out a hand, "My name is Melody. I'm sure you have heard of me. Sorry for coming in unannounced! None of my messages were going through."

Diellza stared, her expression set. Melody grimaced at the glare, then pulled her hand away. Lux stepped between them.

"H-Hey! I think it's fine if she keeps the visit short!" he said, trying to cut the tension, "I-I mean it's not like we can just turn her away-"

"Out of the way Lux," Diellza said, eyes still on the other. Her hand was hovering closer to her belt. The orange haired teen waived his hands a little when Melody winced.

"H-Hold on!" he said, "Can't we make an exception? From what she's been telling me they haven't spoken in years and that the two of them can finally-"

"No, Lux. This isn't up for debate," Diellza stated, "Besides, this isn't Melody."

Lux raised a brow, turning around to the other woman. She had a hurt expression as the elevator opened behind her. The lieutenant took a step forward.

"Melody is taller, and has whip marks on her neck when she fought with Charlemagne back during her stay at S.T.O.R.M. Not to mention yellow eyes," Diellza leered, "You're obviously an imposter!"

Before either of them could react, Diellza reached down and grabbed a taser from her belt. Suddenly, Lux was tugged sharply back, something cold pressing against his neck. Diellza froze. The other woman started to chuckle.

"Oh! Looks like I ran into the right soldier just now," she said, keeping her other arm wrapped around Lux's chest. He inhaled sharply when he felt the metal press further against him. With a quick glance, he saw that it was some sort of cylinder, almost like a rather thick pen, with a strange purple liquid inside.

"Drop it before I fry you to a crisp!" the Commander exclaimed. The woman let out a scoff.

"As if. You should've done that before. Cause now the second you do I'll be injecting this helpful little S.T.O.R.M. boy with a rather infectious toxin," she said, thumb hovering over the end of it, "With a press of the button, three needles will go shooting into his veins. And while I get fried by electricity his insides will be burning until there's nothing left!"

Diellza growled, hand shaking in fury as she clutched onto the taser. She exhaled slowly, eyes flitting back and forth between the two. They eventually landed on the woman.

"... What is it that you want?"

"Like I said before. I need to visit the commandant," she responded, "Or rather, the old commandant. We have some important business to discuss."

To punctuate herself, the woman stepped further inside the elevator. She gestured towards the control panel.

"You can even come follow along. Hell, you can even lock me up inside the same cell if you want," she shrugged, "I'll even release this little soldier when I get inside."

Diellza glared at the other, and didn't stop even as she went and pressed the floor button and the doors shut. As the elevator jerked and moved, Diellza continued to stare directly at the woman. Lux shifted his feet together, not wanting to move too much as he felt the metal lightly pricking his neck.

"This isn't really that dangerous is it?" he asked, staring down at the mysterious purple liquid, a twinge of curiosity that he tried to focus on more then the fear.

"That's for me to know," the woman said, leaning closer so that he voice could be heard even as she whispered, "It could be a harmless sedative, or maybe it's monsuno essence. Would you really want to know?"

Lux swallowed hard, his hand fidgeting near Spritelight's core. He knew in this situation it was pointless on trying to spin out, but he at least hoped that his monsuno could ease his worry. The core started to heat up, and he knew it was getting angry.

The elevator stopped. The doors opened. On the far side of the hallway, two guards were patrolling. The woman motioned at Diellza, stepping backwards so that she and Lux were out of sight. Breathing deeply, the commander walked down the hallway.

"Soldiers!" she ordered, "At ease! I need to speak to the commandant! Go greet the other troops coming in! They should be in the east landing bay!"

They gave her a nod, quickly going down one of the corridors. She turned back around, seeing 'Melody' stepping into view with Lux in tow.

"Glad you didn't order them to use the elevator," she smirked, keeping a distance when she walked by the Lieutenant. The three of them continued to make their way down the hall until they were in front of a metal door. The raven-haired woman motioned towards the door panel.

"Go ahead!" she said, "Just open the door and let me in. I'll let this little S.T.O.R.M. brat go and you can just leave me in there."

The brown-haired woman frowned, briefly looking at Lux before dropping her gaze to 'Melody's' belt.

"Don't think I didn't notice the cores you have," Diellza glared as the door slid open, "Even if I leave you alone with Charlemagne, you'll easily make it out."

'Melody nodded to herself, "True. But at this point, I can't say the same for this one!"

Before he could react, the woman jabbed the device into Lux's neck. He let out a cry of pain, a swelling numbness instantly going through that started to burn. Diellza let out a gasp, immediately charging forward.

The woman didn't hesitate to push him in the way.

As the two soldiers fell to the floor, she slammed her fist into the door panel and stepped inside the cell. The lieutenant rose up fast, shouting at the door.

"You coward!" she shrieked, then stopped when Lux let out a pained gasp. She watched in horror as his body started to spasm and twitch violently, "Lux!"

She hovered over him, taking a close look at the injection where three bloodied marks were now bruising an awful purple color. She pressed her hands against it, feeling the warmth as a small trickle of blood ran through her fingers. Her eyes caught sight of the discarded vial, the foul purple liquid still dripping from the needles. Growling, she turned to the door.

"Charlemagne!"

Lux let out another round of shudders, eyes wide with pain. Diellza grabbed the vial and scooped him up in her arms. Without hesitating, she sprinted down the hallway.

"Lux. Can you hear me?" she asked calmly. He didn't respond, his breath coming out in labored breaths. He let out a weak moan, and she held onto him tighter. When she turned the corner, she spotted three soldiers standing there.

"You! Go to Charlemagne's cell!" she ordered, not caring for their surprised looks at her. Normally she would've stayed and gotten inside the cell herself, but with Lux's life on the line, she wasn't about to make a rash decision.

She practically soared to the medical wing.

As she charged through the doors, the receptionist let out a gasp at the sight of her.

"Get a stretcher! Now!" she ordered, clutching onto Lux even tighter when she felt his body slumping in her hold. A few seconds later, a nurse and two doctors appeared wheeling in a table. As gently as she could, Diellza laid the orange-haired teen down as they started taking his vitals and bombarded her with questions.

"What happened?" one of the doctors asked as the other started examining his neck, "What caused this?"

"This," Diellza said, shoving the empty syringe into his hand, "There should be remanence of the toxin in there. Formulate an anti-serum as quickly as you can!"

The doctor took the glass holder and nodded. The three of them were quick to start shouting orders to anyone else in earshot. The commander, however, immediately charged out of the wing and back to the holding cells. Worrying over Lux wouldn't do much now, so instead she directed her attention elsewhere.

Unfortunately, a violent shaking throughout the whole base made her realize she was too late.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks to Darpsonic6, ChasexJinjaForever, monsuno power, and guest for the reviews!

So so so so sorry that this has taken over a month to update! I've been busy with getting school done, ended up writing myself into a corner with almost all my fics, AND didn't have beta to help since she was busy with her own work (apparently she's on Ao3 now?)

Anyway, pleasant surprises in this chapter, so I hope it was worth the wait. Enjoy!

* * *

The room was quiet, except for the ticking clock on the wall. The evening light coming through the curtains was faint, raising the shadows in the room. Dax stood there by the fireplace, staring down at the floor as he heard voices in the other room.

A figure appeared in the doorway. He glanced over to see a woman leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

"So. Why'd you wanna come talk to me today?" she asked. Dax looked away back towards the windows.

"Just... Was in the neighborhood," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets from habit, "It looks like you spruced up the place. At least the last time I was here."

She let out a huff, "Pretty much everything is better then when you were here. Half of the rooms were built in the past few years... But I doubt you came back to talk about renovations."

Dax frowned, staring back to some of the framed pictures. His eyes landed on one with a familiar pair of boys, remembering the day the photo was taken. He turned back around.

"No. I just... What's been going on around here?" he asked, fidgeting from foot to foot, "I heard there were some more improvements that needed to be made-"

"Get to the point Dax. I have things to do, and a bunch of little scrubs to look after," the woman said, strolling over to the couch and sitting down. She crossed her legs, leaning back with her arms still folded. Dax frowned, then let out a chuckle.

"Can't get anything past you can I, Trish?" he sighed, then pulled out an envelope. "I... Was wondering if you heard anything about Eklipse lately. I need to find the leader, and a rumor said a couple of them were in town."

He held the paper out to her. She raised a brow.

"Let me guess. Another 'donation'?" she asked, then waived his hand away, "You don't have to bribe me for help. I'll gladly let you stay here at the orphanage or lend you some information if you need it."

Dax shook his head, still holding it out, "No. It's not that. It's a little something else."

She whipped the envelope from his hand, stuffing it into the pocket of her apron without looking. He figured as much, remembering to write a note along with the money inside.

"As far as Eklipse goes, things have been quiet," Trish said, picking under her nails with a frown, "It's probably because we're now in what's considered the better part of town, but even the scrubs haven't heard anything. I figured I'd at least find one of them with a core. I heard a lot of the fighters moved on though, heading back north."

Dax drummed his fingers against his arms with a hum, "So... No signs of monsuno around here?"

Trish shook her head.

"None that concern you, unless you're part of S.T.O.R.M. again," she said, then narrowed her gaze, "But I doubt that from the look of things. So, what're you planning? You don't come over here unless you're doing undercover work."

He was silent, eyes trailing towards the pictures again. Faintly, he could see a reflection on the glass.

"I'm... Doing a different kind of undercover work."

The clock on the wall started to go off. Trish let out a sigh, and he knew that she was easily able to read through his intentions.

"So that's it, is it?" she said, "Don't you think you're playing this a little too close to the chest aren't you? I mean, it's one thing infiltrating the Forge Resistance, but to try and get into Eklipse is another thing entirely. You're wanted on almost all levels by every group out there."

The lowlander let out a small scoff under his breath. If what Jinja said was true, he wasn't actually wanted by S.T.O.R.M. anymore. But he would rather not go back to them. Not until he brought Klipse back with him.

He walked over to the couch, sitting on the other side from Trish as he scratched the back of his neck.

"I've already searched everywhere that I could on my own. The only way I'll be able to find Klipse is if I go on the inside. There's only so much I can do using everyone else," he said, staring down at his hands, "I need to find him. It's the only way I'll be able to free Spike."

He felt the couch shift next to him, a bandaged hand gripping his own.

"You know, you don't have to do this alone," Tricia said, "I know he's your brother, but there's only so much you can do. Are you sure this Klipse guy is even alive? If you've been searching for years then maybe..."

"It doesn't matter," Dax said, "The only way I can help Spike is if I can bring the true culprit in. And you know who that is."

He paused, fiddling his thumbs together.

Dax knew that Klipse was probably gone. He had asked everyone who was at the battle four years ago whether they had seen the scientist or not. The only ones who saw anything afterwards were a few members of the Strike Squads, but even then they only saw Six.

He thought about trying to track down the clone, but even that trail had gone dry. The last lead he had gotten was nearly two years ago with someone seeing a red monsuno like Demise. Unfortunately, he had gotten there too late, all traces of the other long gone.

Footsteps came running inside, a small girl with ribbons in her hair appearing in the doorway.

"Tricia! I can't find my red shoes!" she exclaimed, "I think the dog took them!"

The woman rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Alright alright. I'll find them for you," she said, "I'm sure they're in your room. You probably just need to clean it."

Dax watched as the girl puffed her cheeks, then marched out of the room. He couldn't help but chuckle, knowing she was probably going to throw a fit. Tricia paused at the doorway.

"Oh and Dax," she said, looking over her shoulder, "Things will be okay. Just have some faith."

She walked out the room, leaving him alone. His expression grew serious in thought. He knew that this was his last resort. No one he turned to was able to help, and that left only one option.

HLP

"Alright," Alpha said, standing in front of the leader of his squad that was at attention, "You have a mission today of the utmost importance. We got word that Chase Suno was spotted in the coastal region-"

He pressed the remote he held, a map appearing behind him on the large briefing screen.

"You and Strike Squad III will travel amongst the Constell isles until you find him, and bring him back. As soon as you locate him, give your location so that the rest of us can follow. Do you understand your task Theta?"

"Sure thing there! We got this in the bag!" the brown-haired teen waved off, excitement evident even in his casual expression. Alpha nodded, a nervous feeling in his gut. He turned to back to the map.

"There are ruins towards the eastern seas, which should be a good place to start," Alpha continued, "I've uploaded the following map to the cloud hopper, so the course is very straight forward. Bren's calibrated the autopilot, so don't mess with any of the controls."

"Wow, might as well just drive the thing for us," the teen snorted. Alpha's eye twitched, and he cleared his throat.

"I'm leaving this important mission to you. You shouldn't treat this lightly," he said, then glanced towards the door, "I have a feeling that our enemies that have been dormant are going to jump on this rumor just as quickly as we are. Which means you'll have to work fast."

He looked back towards the screen. Originally, the commander wanted to send Strike Squad II, but as of late they were busy with the remaining Eklipse members. And his old squad was busy with the Forge Resistance in the west, which only left the newest team.

(And he cringed at that thought)

Alpha turned back to the other, "Do whatever it takes to bring Chase home. Don't get distracted, and keep your teammates in line. You got that?"

"Of course! What do you take me for?" the teen shrugged lazily.

"I'm serious Sebastian. We need this to finally come to a close," The Commander said, pausing for a moment, "Once Chase is back... Things can finally start getting back on track around here."

Alpha tapped his foot. That's what he wanted to believe. But he knew that it would take more then reuniting Team Core Tech to take care of the problems in the world, especially in the matters of monsuno. The least they could do is get Chase and Beyal back into the fight to even the odds.

Sebastian saw his intense expression, then let out a small huff.

"Don't sweat it commander! Me and my crew got this!" he said, puffing his chest up, "We know what to do! And we've got a lot more experience this time! We _all_ will be able to bring Chase back!"

Alpha looked back to the teen, recognizing the enthusiasm from years ago. He let out a sigh, and clapped the strike squad leader on the shoulder.

"Well... Try not to get too caught up in all the action," he said.

Sebastian gave a salute, and turned on his heel to charge out the room. He was already feeling the excitement coming from his monsuno's cores.

"Oh, and Doctor Suno has a package for you," Alpha remembered, "Be sure to pick it up before you head out."

Sebastian paused for a moment, then continued on. Despite the direct order, he went straight towards his quarters to start prepping for the mission. (He could always go to the Suno residence later).

And the packing didn't take very long. Even though Alpha said that they would spend about a week there, Sebastian wasn't about to laze around and take it easy. He was always eager to get the missions done as fast as possible.

(It also helped that there happened to be a festival going on in the region that he was wanting to see)

He threw a few necessities inside, making sure to pack his extra cores, as well as a few of the bio cores that Core Tech made just for good measure. Monsuno fighting was actually pretty easy for him at this point, given how he had only started two years ago. But then again, he did have _years_ to figure out before actually spinning out a core.

As he entered the living space of the flat he shared, Sebastian saw three of his teammates waiting.

"You guys ready?" he asked, glancing around.

"Sure thing boss," the brown-haired, muscular teen said, then paused with a frown, "Wait. I think I need to grab more money for the festival!"

"Yowani. We don't need money for this," the dark-skinned girl sighed, "We're going on a critical mission, not sight seeing."

"I gotta agree with Nadia on that one," Kimi said, griping her own core tightly, "I've been having a lot of strange feelings as of late... And finding Chase Suno is really important. He saved my life once, and I'd like to finally repay the favor."

Yowani rolled their eyes, "Lighten up you two! I doubt the mission will really be that bad. If anything, it's probably just going to be a simple pick up. Now let's get going!"

As soon as they gathered their things and ran out, Sebastian skidded to a halt.

"Hold on!" he shouted, running in the other direction, "Gotta get something from Dr. Suno. I'll see you on deck! Make sure the fuel is actually filled this time."

After a few short turns through the halls, he was at the door to the Suno's flat. He knocked, the door automatically opening. He glanced around, but by the silence guessed everyone was out.

"I guess he's at the lab?" Sebastian questioned, going straight towards the fridge in the kitchen. He popped it open, eagerly taking a soda from the back and chugged half the can down in one go. He visited so often that they kept extras of his favorite snacks around (some of which he wanted for the long ride). He quickly stuffed a few cans into his bag.

As he started helping himself to the cabinet, footsteps came inside from the hallway. He looked up to see it was Sophia. She froze somewhat, but let out a sigh.

"Oh, it's just you," she said. Sebastian gave a wave.

"Hey there Auntie!" he chirped, "Where's Old Man Suno at? Alpha said I need to pick something up from him."

Sophia raised a brow, setting down a vase that she had been carrying, "Well. I imagine that he is in the lab as per usual. Why? Are you going on a mission today?"

"Sure am! Me and Kimi and Nadia and Yowani and my best bud get to finally go out!" Sebastian said, quickly stuffing a few bags of chips inside his duffle before heading for the door again, "Well. I'll see you later!"

"... Good luck!" Sophia called out as he ran. He slid down the stair case as he went down a floor and through a series of halls until he was at the labs. He slowed his pace, remembering the last time he was running through here he ended up causing a commotion (and not the good kind). As he came around the corner, he heard Dr. Suno's voice in one of the rooms.

"Hey~o!" Sebastian exclaimed, bursting through the door. Jeredy turned to him, somewhat surprised but also annoyed at the sight of him.

"Oh... What did you need Sebastian?" the doctor asked, leaning back in his seat as he set down the tools in his hand.

"I'm here to pick up the-woah! Is that a new core?" the teen said, hurrying over to the desk. He scooped up the small metal in his hand, tilting it a few times before shaking it.

"There's no monsuno in here. Are you just repairing cores? Are you just a repair man now? Sounds boring. You must not be very important around here anymore."

Jeredy let out a sigh, plucking the core form the other.

"What was in here, is none of your business," he said, "And my work _is_ important. You're squad members have monsuno don't they?"

"Everyone but my best bud and Yowani, " Sebastian frowned, crossing his arms. Jeredy cringed for a moment, then scratched the back of his neck.

"... I've been a bit busy lately. You should know that Yowa- I mean- Tau just got a monsuno last week. And I need to repair the cores from the west base before issuing out anymore monsuno," Jeredy explained. Sebastian rolled his eyes, figuring the old man was just being lazy.

"Well. Either way," he continued, and strode over to the door and pivoted on one foot, pointing at the doctor, "Where's this package that you have for us? Alpha said you had it for the mission."

Jeredy blinked, his eyes getting a sullen look for a moment. He shook his head and stood up. He walked to the other side of the room where a few containers were, some of which were glowing blue. After looking for a minute, the doctor brought out a small metal case. He held it out for Sebastian to take.

"Here. You'll know when to open it," he said.

"Really? What's in it?" Sebastian asked, taking it in his hands and started pressing the buttons. Jeredy whipped the case out of his hands as soon as it started beeping.

"Hey! I didn't say open it immediately!" he said, frantically disengaging the security on it. What ever was inside must've been important for a lock system like that to be on it. Jeredy sighed when he got it back in control.

"It's necessary. That's all you need to know," Jeredy said, then slowly handed it back, "Which means: no pushing the buttons. I left the code with Delta."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, and tucked the case under his arm. Of course they would give the code to Kimi instead, "Sure. Sure. Whatever you say doc."

"Good. In that case," Jeredy said, then pulled out another case, this one much larger, "Here are the parts that Zeta might need. She'll know what they're for."

The brown-haired teen raised a brow, but took the case. Whatever was inside was massive, nearly dragging it on the floor as he gripped the top handle.

"Uh... Do you need help with that?" Jeredy asked.

"N-No! I got it!" Sebastian huffed out, placing the other case atop the larger and tugging as he grunted through the door. Jeredy watched in amusement, shaking his head as he turned back to his work.

It took him awhile, but eventually Sebastian got back to the deck with the cases in tow. Kimi and Yowani were both waiting outside the cloud hopper.

"Oh! There you are!" Kimi said, then raised a brow as Sebastian let out a huff, "... What is this?"

"Something... For Nadia," Sebastian panted out, "Old Man Suno didn't tell me what they are. Probably weird engineer stuff."

The other two exchanged looks, then shrugged. Yowani picked up the case and easily heaved it into the ship. Sebastian pouted when Kimi let out a small giggle.

"Well anyway. Everyone's on board," she said, then ran up the ramp, "C'mon! We got a mission to do!"

Sebastian quickly shook his head, then gave a nod. He ran after her, pushing the button for the door as he trailed into the main room. He could hear Nadia's voice speaking, then saw her sitting next to their fifth teammate. The dark-skinned girl held a small torch that tossed sparks as it welded the metal on the other teen's wrist.

"-and then Yowani finally got a monsuno. Haven't spun it out yet though, so that'll be interesting to see... And, there," Nadia said, lifting the goggles away from her eyes. The other teen flexed his steel, right hand a few times before turning his wrist. Nadia let out a hum with a sly look.

"But then again, last time Yowani had a monsuno, the entire training bay went up into flames and they had their monsuno confiscated-"

"Here ya go!" Yowani shouted, dropping the case down in front of the two. The girl jumped, then glared.

"Wow. Thanks for giving me a heads up," Nadia snapped, then looked at the top, "Oh. These must be the extra parts from Dr. Suno. I doubt we'll need them, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared I guess, considering I already had to do repairs."

Sebastian shrugged with a sigh, "Honestly though. Old Man Suno's been dropping the ball lately. He was just doing repairs to some cores when I saw him! Adults can't do anything. He doesn't even have a monsuno for Exi yet."

Kimi raised a brow, then looked to their other teammate. He let out a scoff, looking away.

"... I don't need a monsuno. You should know that," the raven-haired teen retorted, rubbing the back of his left hand.

Sebastian frowned as he crossed his arms in thought. He felt his own monsuno's core vibrating at his frustration, but ignored it.

A low rumbling noise got the group's attention. They all turned to Yowani, who started to blush.

"Wh-what? I'm hungry!" the teen sighed, "Are we going to go yet? I'm starving!"

"Why don't you just eat while we're here at the cloud carrier?" Kimi asked, going to her seat and turning on the controls. She put on her headset, adjusting it for a second, "We can wait a few minutes for you to run inside and get something."

"Nah. You wouldn't get it. Besides, island food is the best this time of year!" Yowani said, following suit as the rest of them went to their spots, "All that seafood! And the sweetest of fruits are in season! Can't wait to have some fresh pickled guava! Oh! And pineapple pizza!"

Nadia wrinkled her nose, "Except pineapple pizza is disgusting!"

"No it's not!" Yowani growled, fists clenched tight, "You can't count the pizza they make here because they do it wrong! If it's made right, then it's fantastic!"

"You mean like when _you_ did the last time we tried cooking pizza in the flat, and nearly obliterated the oven?" Nadia giggled behind her hand, "I thought we all agreed that Kimi would do the cooking after that. She's waaay better at making food anyway, especially chicken biryani-"

Sebastian ignored the banter, looking over the controls in front of him. After pressing a few buttons the engines hummed to life. His teammates immediately quieted down as they looked at the statuses.

"Energy at 100%." Exi said.

"Defense systems fully functional," Nadia confirmed.

"Weapons system charged," Yowani grumbled, scratching their stomach. Sebastian reached into his bag and threw a bag of crackers back. The other teen's eyes brightened at the sight, immediately tearing into it with a big grin.

"Cloud Hopper 7 ready for take off," Kimi said into her headset. One of the soldiers on the deck started to signal them. Sebastian grabbed the handles, slowly easing the ship off the platform. During his first few attempts of driving the cloud hoppers, it almost always ended with something getting destroyed. Luckily that was years ago, and he could steer one without even needing the crew to help.

" _Cloud hopper 7, you're cleared for take off."_

"Alright!" Sebastian said, then jerked the throttle. The ship took off, soaring upward before taking a sharp dive towards the clouds below, "Constell Islands, here we come!"

HLP

The cloud hopper disappear into the clouds, metal flashing briefly in the sunlight as it faded into the distance. Alpha stood there watching, arms crossed behind him as he stared out into the open. He really hoped that he wasn't making a mistake with trusting this mission to them. But what else could he do? If he waited any longer, then that would leave too much opportunity for their enemies to attack.

'... We need Chase back,' he thought, 'However, we can't afford any more mess ups with _them_..."

The images of flames in the night flashed in his vision briefly.

"Alpha!"

He turned around, seeing one of the soldiers running to him. They made a quick salute before coming to a full stop.

"We just got word from the base in the Aricé region!" they said, "Lieutenant Diellza says there was an attack."

Alpha let out a small gasp, then steeled his expression, "What happened? Who was it?"

"We don't know. But Lieutenant Diellza is on the communication line right now!" the soldier said, the two of them running down the hall, "Lieutenant Jinja is speaking to her now. An official report is being sent over with security footage."

The commander nodded, and focused on following the soldier. Within five minutes, they rushed into the room, two other soldiers inside with Jinja. The lieutenant was leaning over the keyboard, a serious expression on her face.

"-and how many were there?" she asked, glancing over to Alpha briefly before looking back to the screen. Alpha walked up, and saw Diellza speaking.

" _There was only the one,"_ she said, ignoring Alpha's entrance, " _She said she was Charlemagne's sister-"_

Diellza looked briefly at Alpha before focusing on Jinja.

 _"She must've used that to sneak past the guards. From what security stated, that seems to be the case..."_

"Sneaking through? That's not easy for someone to do at your base," Alpha remarked, "Or did you decide to drop the ball today?"

Diellza stared down uncharacteristically. Alpha raised a brow when she didn't respond.

"... Lieutenant. Did something happen?"

The woman continued to look down at the floor, then shook her head.

" _No. Nothing at all,"_ she said, " _The rest of the report is with Lieutenant Jinja. I'll send an update in a few hours."_

The screen clicked off. Alpha raised a brow, and heard Jinja let out a sigh.

"Did I just miss something? What happened?" he asked her. Jinja sat down on one of the nearby chairs, leaning her chin on her palm.

"Someone was in the Aricé base," she explained, "As you know, they're not sure who it was, and are going to send over the footage from the base. Nothing was stolen. But, well, there was a lot of damage."

"How much?"

"The entire cell block was destroyed. They managed to apprehend most of the inmates who escaped," Jinja said, gaze lowered, "But... There were a few people that were injured."

Alpha raised a brow at the gravity in Jinja's voice. She made a motion to the guards to leave. They followed without hesitation.

"What was it? A monsuno fight? An explosive of some sort? How many soldiers were injured," Alpha asked. Jinja shook her head.

"Neither, to their knowledge," she said, then looked up with bright eyes, "And there was only one injured... The Strike Squad II leader."

Silence echoed through the room. A part of Alpha actually wished that the guards had stayed, feeling his breath catch in his throat and unable to hide his fear under the guise of leadership. Especially with how concerned Jinja looked as she stared back down at the floor. Eventually, Alpha found his breath again.

"... Is there any word of... What happened?" Alpha finally asked.

'Well. The last update that Diellza got was that he was stabilizing," Jinja sighed, "The medical specialist Rose happened to be on one of the ships that was scheduled to arrive, so she was able to make an antidote."

Alpha nodded, blinking a few times as he tried to get the ringing in his ears to stop. Even though he and Lieutenant Diellza didn't see eye to eye, Alpha felt an unfound respect towards the younger Strike Squad leader. Lux was very much his successor, and was like a mirror of what Alpha assumed _he_ would be like if it weren't for the harsh training Charlemagne put him and his squad through...

The thought of the old commandant suddenly made Alpha freeze.

"Wait. You said the whole cell block was destroyed," he said, "Does that mean Charlemagne _escaped_?"

Jinja shook her head slowly, her expression suddenly growing more somber. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't bring herself to do so. Instead, she handed a paper to the Commander.

Silently, Alpha's eyes trailed down the report, quickly skimming over the lines until he reached the part that made Jinja silent. He inhaled sharply, hands clenching into the paper in shock.

Jinja stood up from her seat, walking past him towards the door.

"... I'll go to the base," she said, "I can be there by this afternoon. I'm sure there's something that I can do for-"

"Hold on," Alpha said, taking her shoulder with one hand and shoving the paper into his pocket with the other, "You need to stay here in case we hear something about Chase. When- If Strike Squad III needs help, you and Bren are the ones who will need to be there. _I'll_ go help out at the Aricé base."

He looked up to her, gaze hardened. He had a feeling that this was no coincidence that they got a lead about Chase _and_ one of the bases were attacked in the same week. Jinja must've been able to tell what he was thinking, and let out a sigh.

"Alright then," she said, crossing her arms in thought, "Just... Be careful. I'll keep you updated on Lux's status."

"Make sure that Tango and Kilo go meet up with the others," Alpha said, his hand clenching around Tripwire's core, "And... Make sure the news about Charlemagne stays between us."

She nodded grimly, turning back to the screen. Alpha strode out of the room, fists clenched tightly.

Whoever this new enemy was, they were _serious_. And whatever they were after spelt out disaster for the rest of them. Especially if it had to do with Chase.

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A/N: Review Review Review!


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